AACTA Awards
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industry, both locally and internationally, including the producers, directors, actors, writers, and cinematographers. It is the most prestigious awards ceremony for the Australian film and television industry. They are generally considered to be the Australian counterpart of the Academy Awards for the United States and the BAFTA Awards for the United Kingdom.
AACTA Awards
"To recognise and honour outstanding achievement in the Australian film and television industry."[1]
Australia
Founded as the Australian Film Institute Awards (AFI Awards) 1958 (to honour achievements of 1957/1958)
ABC (1977, 1980–83, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2003–04)
SBS (1998–2000)
Seven Network (1978, 2001, 2016–2020)
Nine Network (1976, 2005–12)
Ovation (2004)
Network Ten (1985, 2002, 2013–15, 2021–)
Fox Arena (2013–present)
The awards, previously called Australian Film Institute Awards or AFI Awards, began in 1958, and involved 30 nominations across six categories. They expanded in 1986 to cover television as well as film. The AACTA Awards were instituted in 2011.[2][3] The AACTA International Awards, inaugurated on 27 January 2012, are presented every January in Los Angeles.[4]
History[edit]
1958–2010: AFI Awards[edit]
The awards were presented annually by the Australian Film Institute (AFI) as the Australian Film Institute Awards (more commonly known as the AFI Awards), "to recognise and honour outstanding achievement in the Australian film and television industry."[1] They were instituted in 1958, "as a way to improve the impoverished state of Australian cinema", and was part of the Melbourne International Film Festival (known then as the Melbourne Film Festival) until 1972.[5][6] The first AFI Awards ceremony consisted of seven fields: Documentary, Educational, Advertising, Experimental Film, Public Relations and Teaching, and an Open category for other films which did not fit in the aforementioned categories.[2][5]
Between 1958 and 1980, submitted films were presented with a gold, silver or bronze prize, and in some circumstances, a Grand Prix award, which was the highest honour a film could receive.[7][8] Additionally, films were also presented with a gold or silver medallion for technical achievements, and films which did not receive a prize were given a certificate of honourable mention.[9][10][11] From the awards inception to 1968, documentary and educational films were the only films submitted for awards due to few feature films produced in Australia, but in 1969, Jack and Jill: A Postscript became the first feature film to receive an award from the AFI, with a silver prize in the "Open" category, and is considered a winner in the Best Film category of the current awards.[9][12][13]
Up until 1970, prizes were handed out in recognition of the film and production, rather than achievements of individual filmmakers and crafts people. However, from 1971 special achievement awards were introduced to recognise actors, directors, screenwriters, musicians, editors and cinematographers in feature films, and from 1975, an additional cash prize was given per achievement.[14][15] In 1977 feature film categories became competitive, while non-feature films continued to be awarded the gold, silver and bronze prizes until 1981, when they also became competitive.[8][15][16]
In 1976 the awards were broadcast live on television for the first time on the Nine Network at the Hilton Hotel in Melbourne.[17] In 1986 television categories were introduced, presenting awards for mini-series and telefeatures before expanding to dramas, comedies and documentaries in the 1990s.[18][19][20]
Rules and voting[edit]
To be eligible for nomination, a production must be an Australian production or program and, in the case of a film, cannot have been previously submitted for consideration; the material is sent to the AFI in DVD or video formats; for a feature film, it must have been publicly exhibited for seven consecutive days in at least two Australian states; for television and documentaries, the production must have been broadcast on television between the eligibility period.[33][34][35] The submission of a production is accompanied by an entry fee in Australian dollars, of up to A$1680 for feature films, $400 for documentaries, $330 for short film and animation and $1125 for television categories.[36]
At the time of the awards inception, a jury of five judges, composed of film critics and filmmakers, determined the winner of a production.[6] In 1976, the jury system was replaced by a peer voting process for feature films which would allow public members the right to vote, but only in the Best Film category.[37][38] The nominees and winners were later peer-voted by a jury which was made up of representatives from all industry crafts, including members of guilds, who have a "professional membership" with the AFI.[39][40]
When the AFI announced the launch of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts, it introduced the Chapters who vote through a two step voting process.[41] The fifteen Chapters consist of professionals from industry guilds and organisations including actors, producers, directors and screenwriters.[22][42] In round one of feature film voting, each chapter determines the nominees for their own respective category; in round two all members of the Academy can vote for the shortlisted nominees in each category to determine the winner.[43] All television and non-feature film awards, and feature film pre-selection are determined by juries.[43] Members of the Australian Film Institute are eligible to vote in the Best Short Fiction Film, Best Short Animation, and Audience Choice award categories only.[43] The votes are audited by accounting firm Ernst and Young from 2011.[44]
Ceremony[edit]
The awards were first presented in 1958 during the Melbourne Film Festival at Melbourne University's Union Theatre.[6] Since its inception, the awards have been predominantly presented in Melbourne but the event has alternated in there and Sydney during the 1990s and 2000s (decade).[55] Awards are handed out over two separate events; the AACTA Awards Luncheon, a black tie event where accolades are given for achievements in non-feature and short films, film production (with the exception of the Best Film, Direction and Screenplay awards), non-drama related television programs and the Longford Lyell Award; the AACTA Awards Ceremony presents the awards in all other categories at a larger venue and is broadcast on television.[29][56] Awards were presented at the end of each calendar year (November or December) to celebrate film achievements of the corresponding year but beginning in 2012, the awards date was changed to January to celebrate films from the previous year.[26][21][57]
There have been controversial decisions of the Australian Film Institute Awards that have led to claims that it has broken its own rules by including an unscreened mini series in the 2005 awards judging:
AFIA has also been criticised for narrow selection of artists for award nominations and an unfair judging process.[67]
There has also been controversy over both the exclusion and inclusion of films that are technically Australian productions, but are made overseas, with foreign funding and/or foreign talent.