Rose Byrne, Ben Mendelsohn, Kieran Darcy-Smith and Vince Vaughn are among the judges for this year’s Heath Ledger Scholarship.
The winner, who will be named in early June, will get $US10,000 in cash and a two-year scholarship at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting and Theatre in Los Angeles, among other prizes.
Previous recipients were Cody Fern (The Last Time I Saw Richard), James Mackay (The Dressmaker, The Tomorrow People), Anna McGahan (ANZAC Girls, House Husbands), Ryan Corr (The Water Diviner, Wolf Creek 2), Bella Heathcote (Dark Shadows, The Rewrite) and Oliver Ackland (Party Tricks, Blinder).
Presented by Australians in Film (AiF) , the award was created in 2008 to foster the education and career development of Australian actors in the US.
The judging panel includes Byrne (Damages, The Internship, Neighbors), Mendelsohn (Bloodline, Exodus: Gods and Kings, The Dark Knight Rises), director Darcy-Smith (Wish You Were Here, By Way of Helena) and Vaughn (True Detective, The Internship, The Break-Up).
Fellow judges are director Gregor Jordan (Ned Kelly, Two Hands), executive producer Adam Schroeder (Zoolander, Sleepy Hollow, Clueless), Australian-based casting director Ann Fay (ANZAC Girls, Packed to the Rafters) and casting director Laray Mayfield (Fight Club, Gone Girl, House of Cards, The Social Network).
Closing date for submissions is April 21. The winner and two runners-up will be named in early June at a dinner in Los Angeles attended by the Ledger family.
The award honours the late Heath Ledger and aims to provide a bridge for actors who have achieved a level of success in Australia to establish themselves in the US.
Last year’s winner Cody Fern said, "The opportunities and support offered through the Heath Ledger Scholarship have been truly life changing; the benefits continue to have a profound impact on both my personal and professional life.”
The winner also gets a return flight to LA to attend the announcement ceremony, a second flight when he or she is ready to make the jump to the US, a 7-day Californian trip and $US5,000 worth of visa and immigration services.
Two runners-up will receive a round-trip to LA and a scholarship to attend masterclasses at Screenwise Film & TV School for actors in Sydney.
For further information regarding submissions, please visit:
http://www.australiansinfilm.org/heathledgerscholarship