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Director Lewis Attey’s Basil is a multi-year drama that began way back in 2012 as a graduate short. It centres on a lonely drifter as he knocks on the door of an old high school friend who didn’t invite him over. What follows is a gripping drama, the kind of which that has you constantly forming questions in your head about what could be motivating the titular character and his strange circumstances. Attey then combines this initial encounter with a second part of the story, that was filmed in 2019, which sees Basil return to the same residence. The result is an incredibly engrossing short that’s powered by Co-Writer Will Freeman’s mesmerising performance as Basil. Dn is excited to present the first two parts of Basil’s story below (a third is currently in development to be shot in 2026!) alongside a chat with Attey about the challenges he...

The Great Gatsby dominated. Aacta.s technical and short films awards today, collecting gongs in all six craft categories for which it was nominated, plus the Aacta award for outstanding achievement in visual effects.

The co-production Top of the Lake bagged two TV trophies while Matchbox Pictures. Nowhere Boys, created by Tony Ayres, was named best children.s TV series.

The TV documentary prize went to Redesign My Brain, which explores the revolutionary new science of brain plasticity, written and directed by Paul Scott and produced by Isabel Perez and Scott for ABC TV.

Writer-director Nick Verso's The Last Time I Saw Richard, produced by John Molloy, was honoured as best short fiction film. Developed and funded through Screen Australia.s Springboard program, the short is a prequel to the upcoming feature film Boys In The Trees, tracing the friendship between two teenagers in a mental health clinic in...

The Australian Screen Sound Guild, supported by Sennheiser, yesterday announced the winners of the 2013 Assg Awards at a lunchtime ceremony held at the Establishment Ballroom in Sydney..

Hosted by the hilarious Rhys Muldoon, it is the second consecutive year the Assg have held the ceremony on a Sunday, which has proved a popular choice with attendees..

Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby was the favourite on the day, taking home four gongs in total, including the Assg Member's Choice and Best Soundtrack of the Year..

The Syd Butterworth Lifetime Achievement Award went this year to two recipients - the outstanding team of.Gary Wilkins and Mark Wasiutak.

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A full list of winners can be found below.. Greg Bell Student Encouragement Award Sponsored by Amber Technology Jonathon Tooke (Sae) Best Sound for a Television Commercial or Promo Sponsored by Sound Devices. A Day in Creative Kathleen Burrows, Bruce Heald Best Sound...

The first round of Aacta award winners were announced yesterday in Sydney at the 2nd Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards Luncheon. Held at the Sydney.s The Star Event Centre and hosted by Adam Elliot, the luncheon drew a host of industry representatives including actors Damon Herriman, Daniel Henshall and Felicity Price. The Sapphires was a favourite of the day, taking home five coveted gongs in total for cinematography (Warwick Thornton), editing (Dany Cooper Ase), sound (Andrew Plain, Bry Jones, Pete Smith, Ben Osmo and John Simpson), costume design (Tess Schofield) and production design in a feature film (Melinda Doring.) A jovial Thornton told media working with Sapphires director Wayne Blair wasn.t exactly a walk in the park. .He.s an incredibly hard task master,. he said. .You can.t pull the wool over his eyes when you feel like being lazy.. Cooper spoke of the...

The Sapphires looks set to dominate this year’s Aacta Awards after dominating the categories announced at yesterday’s awards lunch.

The AACTAs – the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts – were held for the first time last year. Yesterday’s lunch at the Star casino in Sydney comes ahead of tomorrow night’s main Aacta ceremony.

The Sapphires won in five of the early categories, including best editing, sound and cinematography.

The event also paid tribute to producer Al Clark with the Raymond Longford Award. Clark was behind films including The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Absolute Beginners and Nineteen Eighty Four.

Tributes were also paid to producer Pat Lovell, who died over the weekend. Lovell was a producer on films including Picnic At Hanging Rock and Gallipoli.

The winners:

Aacta Raymond Longford Award

Al Clark

Aacta Award For Best Visual Effects

Iron Sky. Samuli Torssonen, Jussi Lehtiniemi,...

Hit musical drama The Sapphires has scored 12 nominations at the 2012 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) Awards including in the coveted best feature film category.

The Sapphires, which follows four indigenous singers during the Vietnam war, has grossed more than $14 million in Australia to become the biggest local film of the year.

Three other films will be also be vying for the best feature film award: Burning Man (10 nominations in total), Lore (eight nominations in total) and Wish You Were Here (eight nominations in total) at the main Aacta ceremony, which will be held on January 30, 2013, at The Star Event Centre. Last year's event was held at the iconic Sydney Opera House.

P.J. Hogan's Mental also scored eight nominations including Best Lead Actress (Toni Collette), Best Supporting Actor (Liev Schreiber) Best Young Actor (Lily Sullivan) and Best Supporting Actress for Rebecca Gibney and Deborah Mailman.

Not Suitable for Children...

The Sapphires has led the Academy of Australian Cinema and Television Arts Awards nominations being nominated in 12 categories.

Awards will be handed out over two events, with an awards luncheon, focused on craft categories on Monday January 28 and the main event on January 30. Both events will be held at the Star Event Centre, the first public events for the venue.

The Sapphires, distributed by Hopscotch/eOne has been nominated for Best Film, Best Direction and best adapted screenplay as well as Best Lead Actor and Actress for Chris O’Dowd and Deborah Mailman, and Best Supporting Actress for Jessica Mauboy.

Burning Man was not far behind on 10 nominations including best film and best direction as well as best lead actor for Matthre Goode and Best Supporting Actress for Essie Davis.

Three more films, Lore, Mental and Wish You Were Here received eight nominations while Not Suitable For Children received four.

Roger Savage; photo by Zorro Gamarnik

A 40-year veteran of the Australian film industry has been recognised for his achievements by the Australian Screen Sound Guild Awards.

The Syd Butterworth lifetime Achievement Award went to sound mixer Roger Savage at a ceremony last night at Sydney’s The Establishment.

Savage’s first film was a surf documentary about the 1970 World Championship, Getting Back To Nothing, directed by Tim Burstall in 1971. His next film was Mad Max in 1979 Mad Max, as well as other classics Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Crocodile Dundee. More recently Savage has worked on Mao’s Last Dancer and Mental.

Elsewhere at the awards, Burning Man won the best film sound recording beating out Wish You Were Here, Swerve, Lore and Killer Elite.

In a similar list of nominees, the best Film Sound Design went to Wish You Were Here ahead of Burning Man, Lore,...

The Australian Sound Guild has announced the winners of.the 2012 Assg Awards.

Held yesterday at The Establishment Ballroom in Sydney, well over a hundred guests were in attendance.

The Assg has reported this year saw a record number of nominations.

Roger Savage (Babe, Moulin Rouge, Mental) was honoured with the Syd Butterworth Lifetime Achievement Award, and in his acceptance speech spoke of the difficulties the industry is currently facing.

.The problem we all face is low budgets,. he said. .We need to adapt to this new environment. It.s not just in Australia, it.s global. What we need to do is adapt and change.

.It is a collaborative industry and I.d like to share (this award) with everyone associated with sound, both past and present..

Best film sound mixing and best soundtrack both went to Killer Elite while Best Film Sound Design was awarded to Wish You Were Here.