latest news
Geoffrey Rush Joins Tropfest
The acclaimed actor and newly-crowned Australian of the Year, Geoffrey Rush, will be a key player in 2012’s Tropfest activities.
Naomi Watts To Play Princess Diana
The Aussie actress is set to play the people’s princess in an upcoming film that chronicles the final two years of Diana’s life.
Sullivan Stapleton Signs On To ‘300’ Prequel
The Aussie actor has beat out the competition to land a role in the upcoming blockbuster.
James Cameron Loses Long Time Australian Collaborators
Producer Andrew Wight and cinematographer Mike deGruy lose their lives in a helicopter crash.
search the site
newsletter
Enter your email address below to receive the weekly Filmink newsletter
AFI Awards Promise Innovation
As the mother of all Australian film awards approaches, we spoke to CEO Damian Trewhella about the year that was and the awards that are about to be.
After last year's AFI Awards Ceremony, your message to the public posted on the AFI website raised the issue that Australia needs an "industry that produces a suitably diverse range of films that connect with diverse, broad and overlapping audiences." Do you think this has been achieved successfully this year?
"Yes, it's certainly been achieved more this year than has occurred in recent times. The box office figures for the films in competition reveal this: 9 films exceeded $1 million; of these 4 films exceeded $3 million; and of these, one film is approaching $15 million and the other, Australia, became the second highest grossing Australian film of all time with a whopping $37.5 million. Collectively, this performance is well above all recent AFI Awards years."
How easy or hard was the decision to broaden the nominations for Best Film to include 6 instead of 4 films? Is this a precedent that will have to be matched next year?
"Throughout the year Australian films frequently earned high praise. It has been clear for some time that we are in a vintage period. When we reached the voting period, I asked many people what their top 4 films were. I don't recall anyone having a clear 4 films, most people struggled to keep it to six, and some people actually were torn choosing between 8 or more films. The extension to 6 nominees is recognition of the impressive range and quality of films this year."
Also in your message last year, you mentioned the slate of films due out this year that you were particularly excited about. They included Mary & Max, Balibo and Mao's Last Dancer. You must feel satisfied that they've lived up to the high expectations?
"We are absolutely delighted. A number of films have attracted high praise both at home and abroad, and in doing so developing strong support bases. Mary & Max is a great example. I understand it's now performing very well in cinemas in France and among a number of looming opportunities it's in consideration for an Oscar. Balibo got MIFF (Melbourne International Film Festival) off to a roaring start and garnered rave reviews. I understand it's had a significant impact in East Timor on the Government's approach to supporting the arts, and Robert Connolly became the first filmmaker to receive the President's medal. I know there are a lot of people excited about the imminent Balibo Blu-ray release. Mao's Last Dancer is indeed fast becoming one of Australia's most loved films - fantastic."
Is it possible to surmise that that the extreme media spotlight generated in the lead-up to Australia actually had a patriotic effect on audiences which led them to want to see more Australian films throughout the rest of this year?
"It's an interesting suggestion. Certainly the marketing and promotion of films is a critical factor in success. And clearly, more people ultimately shared the experience of a particular and very obviously Australian story than has occurred since the triumph of the Crocodile Dundee films in the 1980s. This is a great achievement. I think it's very reasonable to suggest that the more people actually see and enjoy Australian films, the more they will have an appetite for additional Australian films. So yes, undoubtedly Australia's audience winning achievements have helped create a better climate for local films that have followed."
It has been mentioned by various American and Australian actors that television is undergoing a very exciting period at the moment in regards to themes, content, writing and the roles available. This is luring film actors into the television sector. Can you offer an opinion of why so many of these coveted American roles are being held by so many Australian actors? (Rose Byrne, Toni Collette, Melissa George, Martin Henderson, Ryan Kwanten, Jesse Spencer, Rachel Griffiths)
"There is no doubt that television, particularly in the US but also clearly in Australia, is experiencing a strong revival. It's interesting to look in DVD stores and observe the proportion of shelf space consumed by television series. I know a lot of people who head directly to these sections in search of the next instalment of their favourite series. The home entertainment revolution helps grow the demand for high quality story telling. Image and sound presentation can now be high end at home, establishing this is relatively easy, and it's within reach of a great many people. Good quality television thrives off great performance. Australia produces some of the best actors in the world. Our talent pool is disproportionately large. It is no surprise that they are in great and growing demand."
With the introduction of the AFI Highest Grossing Film Award, do you think it can be seen as acknowledging the type film audiences are craving, or more so the result of media attention?
"This year it's certainly both. There is no doubt that Australia had a huge wave of promotion behind it, and it subsequently opened very strong, taking around $9 million in week one. There is a clear correlation between promotion and performance. Australia then went on to play for 20 weeks, an extensive run, and continued to earn in excess of $1 million per week for 10 of these weeks. Such an enduring performance suggests that while promotions had indeed achieved great awareness, there must have also been very substantial referrals. Australia ultimately achieved a whopping $37,555,144 at the box office. Films that do this kind of business tell us a lot about what audiences want."
Are most of the nominees expected in attendance?
"Certainly."
Aside from the AFI Highest Grossing Film Award and the inclusion of 6 instead of 4 nominees in the Best Film category, can we expect any other exciting innovations at this year's award ceremony?
"Yes indeed ... best to be tuned into the Nine Network at 9.30pm on Saturday 12th December to see!"
As Damian says, tune in to the Nine Network at 9.30pm on Saturday, 12th December to check out the AFI Awards. For more on the Australian Film Institute and to check the nominees go to the website.