With the AACTA Awards done and dusted for another year, it’s time for the critics to have their say re the best local films and performances of the year.
In terms of Best Film, The Film Critics Circle of Australia threw up the same nominees as the AACTA Awards – The Dressmaker, Holding The Man, Last Cab To Darwin, Mad Max: Fury Road (pictured) and Paper Planes, with the addition of a sixth nominee in the much smaller-budgeted Tanna, the first feature film to be shot entirely in Vanuatu.
And in line with the AACTA Awards, four of the Best Picture nominees were also nominated for Best Director. They were Neil Armfield (Holding The Man), Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker), Jeremy Sims (Last Cab To Darwin) and the undeniable favourite, George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road).
Featuring both original and adapted works, the Best Screenplay nominees include Blake Ayshford for Cut Snake, Robert Connolly and Steve Worland for Paper Planes, George Miller, Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris for Mad Max: Fury Road, Tommy Murphy for his adaptation of Holding The Man and Jeremy Sims and Reg Cribb for their take on Last Cab To Darwin.
Perhaps in an effort to recognise the success of local family films this year, the FCCA also introduced a Best Children’s Film category this year, with Blinky Bill The Movie, Oddball and Paper Planes all vying for the prize.
Up for Best Actress are international stars Kate Winslet (The Dressmaker) and Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road), while Nicole Kidman was given a nod for her raw turn in Strangerland and Leeanna Walsman was recognised for her comedic performance in Manny Lewis. The latter two replaced Robyn Butler (Now Add Honey) and Ningali Lawford-Wolf (Last Cab To Darwin) who were nominated in the respective category at the AACTA Awards.
While the Best Actress nominees differed, the FCCA’s Best Actor nominations reflected the AACTA Awards with Patrick Brammall (Ruben Guthrie), Michael Caton (Last Cab To Darwin), Ryan Corr (Holding the Man) and Sullivan Stapleton (Cut Snake) all up for the gong.
In the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category, The Dressmaker and Last Cab To Darwin dominated, with Judy Davis and Sarah Snook nominated from the former and Emma Hamilton and Ningali Lawford-Wolf from the latter.
For the males, Mark Coles Smith (Last Cab To Darwin), Alex Dimitriades (Ruben Guthrie), Anthony LaPaglia (Holding The Man) and Hugo Weaving (The Dressmaker) were all nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting role.
Up-and-coming young talent was recognised with Jeremy Chabriel (Partisan), Coco Jack Gillies (Oddball) and Ed Oxenbould (Paper Planes) all nominated for Best Performance By A Young Actor. Tough competition!
The nominees for Best Feature Documentary are Putuparri and the Rainmakers, Sherpa, Snow Monkey, Tyke Elephant Outlaw, and Women He’s Undressed.
In technical categories, Steve Arnold (Last Cab To Darwin), Simon Chapman (Cut Snake), Bentley Dean (Tanna), Donald McAlpine (The Dressmaker) and John Seale (Mad Max: Fury Road) are all vying for Best Cinematography.
The Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards will take place on February 23 in Sydney. For more information or to book tickets, head here.
