'American Hustle' Dominates Australian Academy's International Award Noms
The David O. Russell movie is nominated in all seven categories, including best director, best film and best actor for Christian Bale.
David O. Russell's American Hustle dominates the field of nominations in the race for this year's Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) International Awards.
Russell's movie is the only production to receive a nomination in every single category, including best film, best direction, best screenplay, best actor and best actress categories.
Founded in 2012, the AACTA International Awards are held annually in Los Angeles and aim to recognize film excellence regardless of geography. This will be the third edition of the AACTAs.
Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave runs a close second, missing out only on a nomination in the lead actress category.
Paul Greengrass's Captain Phillips, and Gravity, directed by Alfonso Cuaron, each received three nominations, including best film and best direction.
Blue Jasmine also received three nominations, with The Great Gatsby, Dallas Buyers Club and August: Osage Country all garnering two nominations each.
AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella said: "Australian performers and practitioners are consistently acknowledged as among the world’s best screen talent by international screen organizations such as AMPAS and BAFTA. It is vital that the Australian screen industry participates in this global conversation and has an opportunity to recognize the talents of both local and international peers through the Australian Academy’s International Awards."
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The AACTA international chapter votes to award the season’s performers and practitioners.
"As always, it’s fascinating to observe the consensus and the distinction amongst the perspectives of the Australian screen industry and that of their international counterparts,” said Trewhella.
This year’s AACTA international awards contain a smattering of Aussie talent, including a best actress nomination for awards season favorite Cate Blanchett for her turn in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine.
In the best supporting actor category Geoffrey Rush has been nominated for his performance in The Book Thief, up against Joel Edgerton for his outing in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. Other Australian nominees include Luhrmann for best direction (The Great Gatsby) and Sue Smith for best screenplay (Saving Mr. Banks).
Leonardo DiCaprio is nominated for his starring role in The Wolf of Wall Street and Matthew McConaughey secured a best lead actor slot for Dallas Buyers Club.
Judi Dench (Philomena) and Sandra Bullock (Gravity) received nominations in the best lead actress category, and Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts were both acknowledged for their work in August: Osage County.
The awards are voted on by the AACTA international chapter, which is made up of more than 80 of Australia’s most recognized filmmakers and executives who vote across seven categories: best film, direction, screenplay, lead actor, lead actress, supporting actor and supporting actress.
The winners of the third AACTA International Awards will be announced at an invite-only event in Los Angeles, in association with Australians in Film, on Jan. 10.
The event will be televised on Foxtel’s Arena on Jan. 12 in Australia.
The complete list of AACTA International Awards Nominees is below.
AACTA INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST FILM
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Rush
12 Years a Slave
AACTA INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION
12 Years a Slave -- Steve McQueen
American Hustle -- David O. Russell
Captain Phillips -- Paul Greengrass
Gravity -- Alfonso Cuaron
The Great Gatsby– Baz Luhrmann
AACTA INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY
12 Years a Slave -- John Ridley
American Hustle -- Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell
Blue Jasmine -- Woody Allen
Inside Llewyn Davis -- Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Saving Mr. Banks -- Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith
AACTA INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTOR
Christian Bale – American Hustle
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor -- 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club
AACTA INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS
Amy Adams – American Hustle
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Judi Dench – Philomena
Meryl Streep – August: Osage County
AACTA INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Bradley Cooper – American Hustle
Joel Edgerton – The Great Gatsby
Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave
Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club
Geoffrey Rush – The Book Thief
AACTA INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o -- 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts – August: Osage County
Octavia Spencer – Fruitvale Station
