By Matthew Lowe
Pre-empting the Oscars by nearly two weeks, the Australian Academy has just announced its contenders for the 5th ACCTA International Awards.
Following the local ceremony in December in which Mad Max: Fury Road scored for both Best Picture and Director, the International ACCTA Awards, held in Los Angeles will present awards for global achievement in seven categories: Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Lead Actor, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
In past years this aspect of the AACTAs – which is an attempt to put Australia’s awards on the international stage – was presented to coincide with the local event, however, with the move to present the awards in December, it is only now that the international nominees have been announced.
Leading the nominations is Todd Haynes’ acclaimed period drama Carol, with nods for Lead Actress (Cate Blanchett), Best Supporting Actress (Rooney Mara), as well as Best Screenplay, Best Direction and Best Film.
Closely following, with a total of four nominations is The Big Short – the story of four outsiders tackling the big banks in the wake of the mid-2000s housing bubble collapse – including Best Film and Best Direction for Adam McKay.
Australia will be represented primarily through Mad Max, with three nominations including Best Film yet again; while Joel Edgerton has a received a Best Supporting Actor nod for his work in crime drama Black Mass; and Judy Davis features in the Supporting Actress category for The Dressmaker.
If Australian cinema doesn’t exactly dominate proceedings this time around in terms of content, as ACCTA CEO Damian Trewhella points out, the voting process nevertheless reflects a local taste.
“Our Chapter members are almost all Australians,” he said. “They add a uniquely Australian perspective to the conversation.”
5TH AACTA INTERNATIONAL AWARDS NOMINEES
AACTA International Award for Best Film
THE BIG SHORT
CAROL
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
THE REVENANT
SPOTLIGHT
AACTA International Award for Best Direction
THE BIG SHORT – Adam McKay
CAROL – Todd Haynes
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD – George Miller
THE MARTIAN – Ridley Scott
THE REVENANT – Alejandro González Iñárritu
AACTA International Award for Best Screenplay
CAROL – Phyllis Nagy
EX MACHINA – Alex Garland
THE MARTIAN – Drew Goddard
SPOTLIGHT – Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer
STEVE JOBS – Aaron Sorkin
AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actor
Steve Carell – THE BIG SHORT
Matt Damon – THE MARTIAN
Leonardo DiCaprio – THE REVENANT
Michael Fassbender – STEVE JOBS
Eddie Redmayne – THE DANISH GIRL
AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actress
Cate Blanchett – CAROL
Emily Blunt – SICARIO
Brie Larson – ROOM
Saoirse Ronan – BROOKLYN
Charlize Theron – MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale – THE BIG SHORT
Paul Dano – LOVE AND MERCY
Benicio del Toro – SICARIO
Joel Edgerton – BLACK MASS
Mark Rylance – BRIDGE OF SPIES
AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress
Judy Davis – THE DRESSMAKER
Jennifer Jason Leigh – THE HATEFUL EIGHT
Rooney Mara – CAROL
Alicia Vikander – THE DANISH GIRL
Kate Winslet – STEVE JOBS
