On the way into the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards The Dressmaker looked to stitch up the evening, arriving with 10 nominations, but it was Mad Max: Fury Road that went full throttle. The latest addition to George Miller’s franchise took five gongs including Best Film and Director.
The tied Production Design category saw Mad Max’s Colin Gibson take a half share in the award along with Holding the Man’s Josephine Ford, who was also nominated for Tony Ayres’ Cut Snake.
Of the less-travelled titles Holding the Man also picked up the Screenplay gong, while Tanna took the Music award.
Among the titles with NZ interest other than Mad Max, the Bridget Ikin-produced Sherpa took the documentary gong. Paper Planes, which featured Julian Dennison (Shopping and the upcoming Hunt for the Wilderpeople), took a couple of awards, Best Children’s Film and Best Young Actor (Ed Oxenbould)
The gown-ups’ acting awards were evenly split between Last Cab To Darwin (Best Actor, Supporting Actor) and The Dressmaker (Best Actress, Supporting Actress).
The Film Critics Circle Australia awards were presented 23 February in Sydney. The winners were (marked ***)
BEST FILM
The Dressmaker, Producer: Sue Maslin
Holding The Man, Producer: Kylie Du Fresne
Last Cab To Darwin, Producers: Lisa Duff, Greg Duffy, Jeremy Sims
*** Mad Max: Fury Road, Producers: Doug Mitchell, George Miller, P.J. Voeten
Paper Planes, Producers: Robert Connolly, Liz Kearney, Maggie Miles
Tanna, Producers: Martin Butler, Bentley Dean, Carolyn Johnson
BEST CHILDREN’S FILM
Blinky Bill The Movie, Producers: Barbara Stephen, Jim Ballantine
Oddball, Producers: Sheila Hanahan, Stephen Kearney, Richard Keddie
*** Paper Planes, Producer: Robert Connolly, Liz Kearney, Maggie Miles
BEST DIRECTOR
Neil Armfield, Holding The Man
*** George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Jocelyn Moorhouse, The Dressmaker
Jeremy Sims, Last Cab To Darwin
BEST ACTRESS
Nicole Kidman, Strangerland
Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road
Leeanna Walsman, Manny Lewis
*** Kate Winslet, The Dressmaker
BEST ACTOR
Patrick Brammall, Ruben Guthrie
*** Michael Caton, Last Cab To Darwin
Ryan Corr, Holding the Man
Sullivan Stapleton, Cut Snake
BEST ACTRESS – SUPPORTING ROLE
*** Judy Davis, The Dressmaker
Emma Hamilton, Last Cab To Darwin
Ningali Lawford-Wolf, Last Cab To Darwin
Sarah Snook, The Dressmaker
BEST ACTOR – SUPPORTING ROLE
*** Mark Coles Smith, Last Cab To Darwin
Alex Dimitriades, Ruben Guthrie
Anthony LaPaglia, Holding The Man
Hugo Weaving, The Dressmaker
Hugo Weaving, Strangerland
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A YOUNG ACTOR
Jeremy Chabriel, Partisan
*** Coco Jack Gillies, Oddball
*** Ed Oxenbould, Paper Planes
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Steve Arnold, Last Cab To Darwin
Simon Chapman, Cut Snake
Bentley Dean, Tanna
Donald McAlpine, The Dressmaker
*** John Seale, Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
Putuparri and the Rainmakers, Director: Nicole Ma
Producers: Nicole Ma, John Moore
*** Sherpa, Director: Jennifer Peedom
Producers: Bridget Ikin, John Smithson
Snow Monkey, Director: George Gittoes
Producers: George Gittoes, Lizzette Atkins
Tyke Elephant Outlaw, Directors: Susan Lambert, Stefan Moore
Producers: Susan Lambert, Stefan Moore
Women He’s Undressed, Director: Gillian Armstrong
Producers: Damien Parer, Gillian Armstrong
BEST SCRIPT/SCREENPLAY
Blake Ayshford, Cut Snake
Robert Connolly, Steve Worland, Paper Planes
George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nico Lathouris, Mad Max: Fury Road
*** Tommy Murphy, Holding The Man
Jeremy Sims, Reg Cribb, Last Cab To Darwin
BEST MUSIC
David Hirschfelder, The Dressmaker
Tom Holkenborg aka Junkie XL, Mad Max: Fury Road
Daniel Lopatin, Partisan
*** Antony Partos, Tanna
Nigel Westlake, Paper Planes
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
*** Colin Gibson, Mad Max: Fury Road
Josephine Ford, Cut Snake
*** Josephine Ford, Holding The Man
Roger Ford, The Dressmaker
BEST EDITOR
Jill Bilcock, The Dressmaker
Andy Canny, Cut Snake
Dany Cooper, Holding The Man
Tania Nehme, Tanna
*** Margaret Sixel, Mad Max: Fury Road
