5th AACTA Awards explained

The 5th Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (generally known as AACTA Awards) are a series of awards which includes the 5th AACTA Awards Luncheon, the 5th AACTA Awards ceremony and the 5th AACTA International Awards. The former two events were held at The Star Event Centre, in Sydney, New South Wales in late 2015.^[2] Presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), the awards celebrate the best in Australian feature film, television, documentary and short film productions of 2015. The AACTA Awards ceremony televised on Seven Network for the fourth year running. The 5th AACTA Awards are a continuum of the Australian Film Institute Awards (known as the AFI Awards), established in 1958 and presented until 2010 after which it was rebranded the AACTA Awards when the Australian Film Institute (AFI) established AACTA in 2011.^[3]

The nominees were announced during a press conference on 31 October 2015 at The Star hôtel in Sydney.^[4] The Dressmaker received the most feature-film nominations with thirteen, earning a nomination in most of the categories.^[5]

Nominees and winners

The nominees for feature-films and Television were announced during a press conference on 29 October 2015 in Sydney. Of the nominees, Jocelyn Moorhouse's revenge drama The Dressmaker received the most feature-film nominations with thirteen, including Best Film, Best Direction, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. The winners were announced on 9 December 2015.^[6]

Feature film

Best Film	Best Direction
– Doug Mitchell, George Miller, and P. J. Voeten The Dressmaker – Sue Maslin Holding the Man – Kylie Du Fresne Last Cab to Darwin – Greg Duffy, Lisa Duff, and Jeremy Sims Paper Planes – Robert Connolly, Maggie Miles, and Liz Kearney	George Miller – Jocelyn Moorhouse – The Dressmaker Neil Armfield – Holding the Man Jeremy Sims – Last Cab to Darwin
Best Original Screenplay	Best Adapted Screenplay
Paper Planes – Robert Connolly, and Steve Worland Cut Snake – Blake Ayshford Kill Me Three Times – James McFarland – George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nico Lathouris	Last Cab to Darwin – Reg Cribb and Jeremy Sims, based on the play of the same name by Reg Cribb Holding the Man – Tommy Murphy, based on the memoir of the same name by Timothy Conigrave Ruben Guthrie – Brendan Cowell, based on the play of the same name by Brendan Cowell
Best Lead Actor	Best Lead Actress
Michael Caton – Last Cab to Darwin as Rex Patrick Brammall – Ruben Guthrie as Ruben Guthrie Ryan Corr – Holding the Man as Timothy Conigrave Sullivan Stapleton – Cut Snake as James	Kate Winslet – The Dressmaker as Myrtle "Tilly" Dunnage Robyn Butler – Now Add Honey as Caroline Morgan Ningali Lawford – Last Cab to Darwin as Polly Charlize Theron – as Imperator Furiosa
Best Supporting Actor	Best Supporting Actress
Hugo Weaving – The Dressmaker as Sergeant Farrat Mark Coles Smith – Last Cab to Darwin as Tilly Alex Dimitriades – Ruben Guthrie as Damian Anthony LaPaglia – Holding the Man as Bob Caleo	Judy Davis – The Dressmaker as Molly Dunnage Emma Hamilton – Last Cab to Darwin as Julie Deborah Mailman – Paper Planes as Maureen Sarah Snook – The Dressmaker as Gertrude "Trudy" Pratt
Best Cinematography	Best Editing
– John Seale ASC ACS The Dressmaker – Donald McAlpine ACS ASC Last Cab to Darwin – Steve Arnold ACS Oddball – Damian Wyvill ACS	– Margaret Sixel Cut Snake – Andy Canny The Dressmaker – Jill Bilcock ACE ASE Holding the Man – Dany Cooper ASE
Best Original Music Score	Best Sound
– Junkie XL The Dressmaker – David Hirschfelder Paper Planes – Nigel Westlake Partisan – Daniel Lopatin	– Ben Osmo, David White, Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff, Wayne Pashley, and Mark Mangini The Dressmaker – Andrew Ramage, Glenn Newnham, Chris Goodes CAS, David Williams, Mario Vaccaro, and Alex Francis Paper Planes – Chris Goodes CAS, James Ashton, Emma Bortignon, and Trevor Hope Partisan – Robert Mackenzie, and Dane Cody
Best Production Design	Best Costume Design
– Colin Gibson Cut Snake – Josephine Ford The Dressmaker – Roger Ford Partisan – Steven Jones-Evans APDG, and Sarah Cyngler	The Dressmaker – Marion Boyce, and Margot Wilson Cut Snake – Cappi Ireland – Jenny Beavan Partisan – Sarah Cyngler

Television

Best Drama Series	Best Comedy Series
Glitch – Tony Ayres, Louise Fox and Ewan Burnett (ABC) Love Child (Season 2) – Tom Hoffie (Nine Network) Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (Season 3) – Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox (ABC) Wentworth (Season 3) – Jo Porter and Amanda Crittenden (FOXTEL)	Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell – Shaun Micallef, Peter Beck (ABC) Danger 5 – Kate Croser, Dario Russo (SBS) Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane – Laura Waters, Andrea Denholm, Paul Walton, and Peter Helliar (ABC) Utopia – Michael Hirsh, Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Rob Sitch (ABC)
Best Children's Series	Best Light Entertainment Series
Ready for This – Darren Dale, Miranda Dear and Joanna Werner (ABC3) Little Lunch – Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope (ABC3) The New Adventures of Figaro Pho – Daniel Fill, Frank Verheggen and Luke Jurevicius (ABC3) Nowhere Boys Series 2 – Beth Frey (ABC3)	The Weekly with Charlie Pickering – Charlie Pickering, Kevin Whyte, Chris Walker and Frank Bruzzese (ABC) Dirty Laundry Live – Tarni James, Peter Lawler, Rachel Millar and Richard Kelly (ABC) Judith Lucy is All Woman – Anna Bateman, Judith Lucy (ABC) Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery – Damian Davis, Polly Connolly and Nick Murray (ABC)
Best Reality Series	Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series
MasterChef Australia – Margaret Bashfield, Marty Benson, Tim Toni and Rob Wallace (Network Ten) My Kitchen Rules (Season 6) – Rikkie Proost, Evan Wilkes and Matt Apps (Seven Network) The Real Housewives of Melbourne (Season 2) – Kylie Washington, Lisa Potasz, Virginia Hodgson (FOXTEL) The Voice – Richard Rietveld (Nine Network) The X Factor – Digby Mitchell (Seven Network)	– Kerrie Mainwaring and Rory Callaghan (Seven Network) Banished – Sita Williams, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Jamie Laurenson and Brett Popplewell (FOXTEL) The Principal – Ian Collie (SBS) The Secret River – Stephen Luby (ABC)
Best Direction in a Drama or Comedy	Best Direction in a Television Light Entertainment or Reality Series
Shawn Seet – (Épisode 2) (Seven Network) Jeffrey Walker – Banished (Épisode 7) (FOXTEL) Michael Rymer – Deadline Gallipoli (Part 1) (FOXTEL) Kriv Stenders – The Principal (Épisode 1) (SBS)	Seth Larney – Hipsters (Épisode 1) (SBS2) Anna Bateman – Judith Lucy is All Woman (Épisode 2) (ABC) Damian Davis – Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery (Épisode 7) (ABC) Stamatia Maroupas – Kitchen Cabinet (Épisode 7) (ABC)
Best Lead Actor – Drama	Best Lead Actress – Drama
Joel Jackson – (Seven Network) Wayne Blair – Redfern Now (ABC) Joel Jackson – Deadline Gallipoli (FOXTEL) Oliver Jackson-Cohen – The Secret River (ABC)	Pamela Rabe – Wentworth (Season 3) (FOXTEL) Deborah Mailman – Redfern Now (ABC) Peta Sergeant – House of Hancock (Nine Network) Sarah Snook – The Secret River (ABC)
Best Guest or Supporting Actor – Drama	Best Guest or Supporting Actress – Drama
Ky Baldwin – (Episode 1) (Seven Network) John Bach – Gallipoli (Episode 6) (Nine Network) Lachy Hulme – The Secret River (Part 1) (ABC) Rahel Romahn – The Principal (Episode 2) (SBS)	Sigrid Thornton – (Épisode 1) (Seven Network) Harriet Dyer – Love Child (Season 2) (Episode 3) (Nine Network) Rarriwuy Hick – Redfern Now (ABC) Hannah Monson – Glitch (Episode 4) (ABC)
Best Comedy Performance	Best Screenplay in Television
Celia Pacquola – Utopia (ABC) Nathan Lovejoy – Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane (ABC) Randy – Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane (ABC) Emily Taheny – Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell (ABC2)	Michael Miller – (Épisode 2) (Seven Network) Jacquelin Perske and Shaun Grant – Deadline Gallipoli (Part 1) (FOXTEL) Kristen Dunphy – The Principal (Épisode 1) (SBS) Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Rob Sitch – Utopia (Épisode 1) (ABC)
Best Cinematography in Television	Best Editing in Television
Geoffrey Hall – Deadline Gallipoli (FOXTEL) Martin McGrath – Banished (Épisode 6) (FOXTEL) Mark Wareham – Redfern Now (ABC) Bruce Young – The Secret River (Épisode 1) (ABC)	Nicholas Holmes – Redfern Now (ABC) Dany Cooper and Martin Connor – Deadline Gallipoli (Part 1) (FOXTEL) Annabelle Johnson – Little Lunch (Épisode 5) (ABC3) Deborah Peart – (Épisode 1) (Seven Network)
Best Sound in Television	Best Original Music Score in Television
Des Kenneally, Robert Mackenzie, Liam Price, Jed Dodge, Justine Angus and John Simpson – Deadline Gallipoli (Par 1) (FOXTEL) Paul 'Salty' Brincat, Gary Desmond and Dan Johnson – Banished (Épisode 6) (FOXTEL) Grant Shepherd, Ashley Irwin, Ian Neilson, Ben Anderson, Nigel Croydon, Robert Sullivan – (Épisode 1) (Seven Network) Rainier Davenport, Ian McLoughlin CAS, Wes Chew, Tom Herdman, Annie Breslin and Blair Slater – Redfern Now (ABC)	Cornel Wilczek – Glitch (ABC) David Bridie – Deadline Gallipoli (Part 1) (FOXTEL) Antony Partos – Redfern Now (ABC) Burkhard Dallwitz – The Secret River (Part 1) (ABC)
Best Production Design in Television	Best Costume Design in Television
Herbert Pinter – The Secret River (Part 1) (ABC) Claire Kenny – Banished (Épisode 6) (FOXTEL) Pete Baxter – Deadline Gallipoli (Part 1) (FOXTEL) Tim Ferrier – (Épisode 1) (Seven Network)	Jenny Miles – (Épisode 1) (Seven Network) Shareen Beringer – House of Hancock (Part 1) (Nine Network) Marion Boyce – Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (Épisode 1) (ABC) Edie Kurzer – The Secret River (ABC)

Documentary

Best Feature Length Documentary	Best Documentary Television Program
That Sugar Film – Nick Batzias and Damon Gameau Gayby Baby – Charlotte Mars Only the Dead – Patrick McDonald and Michael Ware Sherpa – Bridget Ikin and John Smithson Women He's Undressed - Damien Parer and Gillian Armstrong	Deborah Masters, Sarah Ferguson – The Killing Season (ABC) Jo-anne McGowan – Between a Frock and a Hard Place (ABC) Richard Kuipers – The Cambodian Space Project (ABC) Harry Bardwell, Kelrick Martin – Prison Songs (SBS)
Best Direction in a Documentary	Best Cinematography in a Documentary
Only the Dead – Bill Guttentag, Michael Ware The Killing Season (ABC) – Deborah Masters Prison Songs (SBS) – Kelrick Martin Uranium - Twisting the Dragon's Tail – Wain Fimeri, Steve Westh	Life on the Reef (Épisode 1) (ABC) – Nick Robinson, Luke Peterson and Jon Shaw The Killing Season – Louie Eroglu Prison Songs – Torstein Dyrting Sherpa – Renan Ozturk, Hugh Miller and Ken Sauls
Best Editing in a Documentary	Best Sound in a Documentary
Only the Dead – Jane Moran The Cambodian Space Project – Andrea Lang The Killing Season (Épisode 2) (ABC) – Lile Judickas Sherpa – Christian Gazal	Only the Dead – Steve Burgess, Leah Katz, Andy Wright and Chris Goodes The Cambodian Space Project – Keith Thomas Life on the Reef (Épisode 1) – Caspar Mazzotti, Craig Beckett, Dan Miau and Terry Meehan Prison Songs – Glenn Martin and Kim Lord
Best Original Music Score in a Documentary
Sherpa – Antony Partos Only the Dead – Michael Yezerski Prison Songs (SBS) – Shellie Morris, Casey Bennetto and Tim Cole Uranium - Twisting the Dragon's Tail – Dale Cornelius

Other

Productions with multiple nominations

Feature film

The following feature films received multiple nominations.

• Thirteen: The Dressmaker
• Twelve:
• Nine: Last Cab to Darwin
• Six: Paper Planes, Holding the Man
• Five: Cut Snake
• Four: Partisan
• Three: Ruben Guthrie
• Two: Oddball

External links

• The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts official website
• Official broadcast website at Yahoo7

Notes and References

1. Web site: Jim Schembri's movie cheat sheet - December 11 . 2016-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161026230858/http://www.3aw.com.au/news/jim-schembris-movie-cheat-sheet--december-11-20151211-gllefy.html . 2016-10-26 . dead .
2. News: AACTA invites sponsors for 2015 . mUmBRELLA (Focal Attractions) . 5 May 2014 . 15 September 2014.
3. Web site: Awarding screen excellence in Australia . Australian Film Institute . 12 December 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110831225010/http://www.afi.org.au/AM/ContentManagerNet/HTMLDisplay.aspx?ContentID=12836&Section=New_landing_page . 31 August 2011 .
4. News: The Dressmaker leads AACTA Awards noms . Groves . Don . If.com.au . 31 October 2015 . 1 November 2015 . 19 November 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151119143814/http://if.com.au/2015/10/28/article/The-Dressmaker-leads-AACTA-Awards-noms/EIEHPTFHWC.html . dead .
5. Web site: Get your AACTA together — how your favourite TV stars have been snubbed for an ABC muppet!. News.com. 1 November 2015. 9 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151109183606/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/awards/get-your-aacta-together-how-your-favourite-tv-stars-have-been-snubbed-for-an-abc-muppet/story-fnil5php-1227585776770. dead.
6. News: 'Mad Max,' 'Dressmaker' Split Australian Academy Awards. 28 October 2015.