2009 AFI Award nominations announced

Peter O’Brien joined fellow actors Rodger Corser, Jessica Marais and Maeve Dermody today at the Chauvel Cinema in Paddington, to announce the nominations for the 2009 AFI Awards.

To celebrate the remarkable year in Australian film, this year six nominees instead of the traditional four were announced for the AFI Award for Best Film - Balibo, Beautiful Kate, Blessed, Mao’s Last Dancer, Mary and Max and Samson & Delilah have all been nominated to take out the coveted award.   

Four of the films nominated in the Best Film category also received the honour of a nomination for the AFI Award for Best Direction. Those nominees are Robert Connolly (Balibo), Rachel Ward (Beautiful Kate), Bruce Beresford (Mao’s Last Dancer) and Warwick Thornton (Samson & Delilah).
 
In other exciting news revealed at the Nominations Announcement, The Australian Film Institute is delighted to announce a new award, the AFI Highest Grossing Film Award, acknowledging the tremendous cinema attendances in this stellar period for Australian film.
 
Until now there had only been one change to the TOP 15 highest grossing Australian films in the last eight years which was when Happy Feet entered at #3.  This year Australia has ascended into the #2 position with a total box office of $37,555,144.  Along with Australia, Mao’s Last Dancer, Charlie and Boots and Samson & Delilah have entered the Top 100 Highest Grossing Australian Films list.  Details can be found at www.afi.org.au.
 
Other nominations announced today include those in the running for the AFI Award for Best Lead Actress: Sophie Lowe (Beautiful Kate), Frances O’Connor (Blessed), Sacha Horler (My Year Without Sex) and Marissa Gibson (Samson & Delilah).  Also announced today were the nominees for the AFI Award for Best Lead Actor: Anthony LaPaglia (Balibo), Ben Mendelsohn (Beautiful Kate), Hugo Weaving (Last Ride) and Rowan McNamara (Samson & Delilah).
 
In the Best Supporting Actor category, the nominees are Brandon Walters (Australia), Damon Gameau (Balibo), Oscar Isaac (Balibo) and Bryan Brown (Beautiful Kate).  Best Supporting Actress nominations went to Bea Viegas (Balibo), Maeve Dermody (Beautiful Kate), Rachel Griffiths (Beautiful Kate) and Mitjili Gibson (Samson & Delilah).
 
Also in an expanded list of six nominees, instead of the usual four, the AFI Young Actor Award nominees were announced as Brandon Walters (Australia), Sebastian Gregory (Beautiful), Tom Russell (Last Ride), Toby Wallace (Lucky Country), Marissa Gibson (Samson & Delilah) and Rowan McNamara (Samson & Delilah).
 
Nominations for the AFI International Award for Best Actor are Russell Crowe (State of Play), Martin Henderson (House, Network Ten), Anthony LaPaglia (Without a Trace, Nine Network) and Guy Pearce (Bedtime Stories).  The nominated actresses are Rose Byrne (Damages, Foxtel), Toni Collette (United States of Tara,  ABC1), Melissa George (In Treatment, Foxtel) and Mia Wasikowska (In Treatment, Foxtel).

In television, the nominees for Best Television Drama Series were announced, they are: East West 101, Season 2 (SBS), Packed to the Rafters (Seven Network), Satisfaction, Season 2 (Showcase) and Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities (Nine Network).

Nominated performers for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama are Susie Porter (East West 101, Season 2), Rachael Blake (False Witness), Rebecca Gibney (Packed to the Rafters) and Asher Keddie (Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities).   Best Lead Actor nominations in this category went to Robert Menzies (3 Acts of Murder), Don Hany (East West 101, Season 2), Dougray Scott (False Witness) and Roy Billing (Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities).
 
The 2009 Samsung Mobile AFI Awards also pays tribute to Documentary, Short Animation and Short Fiction Films. Among those highlighted at the nominations event today were the AFI Award for Best Feature Length Documentary: Bastardy (Philippa Campey, Amiel Courtin-Wilson, Lynn-Maree Milburn, Andrew de Groot), The Choir (Chris Hilton, Michael Davie), Glass: a portrait of Philip in twelve part (Scott Hicks, Susanne Preissler) and Lionel (Lizzette Atkins).  
 
A full list of all feature film, television and non feature categories can be found at www.afi.org.au. Winners will be announced at the official ceremony on December 12.


Samsung Mobile have recently been announced as the naming rights sponsor of the AFI Awards for the next three years. To celebrate this relationship, we are giving film fans the chance to appear on the red carpet alongside 2009 Samsung Mobile AFI Awards style icon Erika Heynatz as an official Samsung Mobile ‘style reporter’ in December.

What’s up for grabs
This amazing opportunity includes return flights for one from your capital city to Melbourne, accommodation for the weekend, an InStyle makeover, exclusive red carpet access, a ticket to the gala Samsung Mobile AFI Awards ceremony and the official after party, as well as a Samsung HD Icon handset with 8 megapixel camera and HD quality video to shoot the event’s most chic celebs. The photographs you take on the night will also feature in Pacific Magazines’ Samsung Mobile AFI Awards coverage

For your chance to win, just head to http://www.facebook.com/samsungmobilefilmclub or text 19719719 and answer the following question: In 160 characters or less, what film has influenced your style and how?