The Film & Television Institute (FTI) announced the winners of the 25th annual WA Screen Awards (WASAs) on Friday night to a crowd of over 600 at a red carpet Gala Awards Ceremony at The Astor Theatre in Perth.
The WASAs, Western Australia’s answer to the AACTAs and the Academy Awards, are the premier celebration of West Australian screen culture, celebrating excellence and achievements in feature film, short film, web series, music videos, television production, documentary and games.
Australian acting legend Jack Thompson presented awards alongside VIP guests Rachael Blake (Lantana, Sleeping Beauty), Tony Martin (Wildside, The Straits, Heartbreak High) and Nelson Woss (producer of Red Dog).
Following a record 800 entries and 104 nominees across 66 projects, a grand total of $33,000 in cash prizes was awarded to filmmakers across 30 categories.
The ScreenWest Outstanding Contribution Award was awarded to producer Sue Taylor who was recognised for her contribution to the West Australian film industry above and beyond her very successful career as a producer of film and television. Taylor’s productions have won many national and international accolades, including official selection of The Tree for closing night at Cannes Film Festival. Taylor has also been recognized for her longstanding services over many years to SPAA, Screenrights and ScreenWest. She has mentored many practitioners and unwaveringly given advice, support and her own time to foster the careers of others for the betterment of an industry that she clearly loves.
Previous winners of the ScreenWest Outstanding Contribution Award include Ric Curtin, Jill Perryman, John Rapsey, Carmelo Musca, Kevin Campbell and Dot West.
The Central Institute of Technology WA Young Filmmaker of the Year Award was awarded to writer Keir Wilkins, 25. Wilkins’ short films Bystander, Life in Red String and Blue, have been recognised in both national and international film festivals and he has worked as a script attachment on Underground: The Julian Assange Story and as a story assistant and additional content creator on The Turning. Wilkins is currently in development on his first half-hour television series.
Previous winners of the prestigious Central Institute of Technology WA Young Filmmaker of the Year Award include Zak Hilditch, whose debut feature film These Final Hours premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) tonight, Mat de Koning, whose debut feature-length documentary Meal Tickets is in post-production, Maziar Lahooti, who won Best Director tonight for his short film Heaven and Antony Webb, director of LINK-funded short film, The Fan which is currently in post-production.
ECU Best Feature Film went to Red Dog by Nelson Woss, ECU Best Short Film went to The Owl by Peter Gurbiel and Wade K. Savage, MadFish Best Actress went to Fern Nicholson for her performance in Potato Peelers and Coopers Best Actor went to Wayne Davies for his performance in Heaven.
Previous WA Screen Award winners include director Elissa Down (The Black Balloon), actor Damian de Montemas (The Secret Life of Us, Underbelly, Blame) and director James Bogle (Closed for Winter, The Circuit) who won the award for Outstanding Young Filmmaker in 1981.
“FTI congratulates all the winners and nominees from the WA Screen Awards. With a record number of entries, this year’s event has ranked amongst the most competitive yet. We look forward to seeing the records tumble again next year as the WA Screen Sector continues to strengthen and grow.” said CEO of FTI, Paul Bodlovich.
“Congratulations to all the nominees and winners of the awards at this years WASAs. It’s a great opportunity to be able to recognise talents of the local screen industry and ScreenWest is pleased to be a sponsor”. said Acting CEO of ScreenWest, Nadine Redmond.
The Curtin University People’s Choice Award will be announced following audience votes at Cinefest Oz which is being held in Busselton, Western Australia from 21 – 25 August 2013. The 2013 program was announced today and can be seen at www.cinefestoz.com.au
For more information about the annual WA Screen Awards, head to the FTI website at www.fti.asn.au
COMPLETE LIST OF 2013 WASA WINNERS AND PRIZES
ScreenWest Outstanding Contribution Award
WINNER: SUE TAYLOR
Central Institute of Technology Young Filmmaker of the Year – $5000
WINNER: KEIR WILKINS
Nominees: Tenille Kennedy, Cassandra Nguyen, David Vincent Smith
ECU Best Feature Film – Drama – $2000
WINNER: RED DOG – NELSON WOSS
Nominees: Blame – Melissa Kelly, Ryan Hodgson and Michael Robinson, Needle – Deidre Kitcher,
The Manuscript – Debbie Thoy
ECU Best Short Film – Drama – $500
WINNER: THE OWL – PETER GURBIEL AND WADE K. SAVAGE
Nominees: One Night Only – Michael Facey, Bush Basher – Ross Hutchens and Tenille Kennedy, Perished – Aaron
McCann & Stefan Androv Radanovich
Central Institute of Technology Best Director – Long Form – $2000
WINNER: KELRICK MARTIN – YAGAN
Nominees: Hunter: For The Record – Sam Bodhi Field, MAL.COM – Episode 3 Free Stuff – Steve Peddie, Man Who
Jumped – Russell Vines
Central Institute of Technology Best Director – Short Form – $500
WINNER: HEAVEN – MAZIAR LAHOOTI
Nominees: One Night Only – Peter Gurbiel, Crosshairs – Mike Hoath, Bush Basher – Ben Young
MadFish Best Performance by an Actress – $500
WINNER: FERN NICHOLSON – POTATO PEELERS
Nominees: Bonsai – Abby Earl, In the Air – Ngaire Pigram, Transmission – Angourie Rice
Cooper’s Best Performance by an Actor – $500
WINNER: WAYNE DAVIES – HEAVEN
Nominees: Henry & Aaron’s 7 Steps to Superstardom – Become Heroes – James Helm, One Night Only – Michael
McCall, Similiar's EVILog – How to Evil Genius for Idiots – David Smyth
ECU Best Feature Film – Factual – $2000
WINNER: HUNTER: FOR THE RECORD – ALICE ROSS
Nominees: On a Wing and a Prayer – Leighton De Barros and Jodie De Barros, More 4 Me – Lincoln Fenner,
Yagan – Kelrick Martin
ECU Best Short – Factual – $500
WINNER: HARVEST – ROB MCGLYNN
Nominees: Container Savers – Jacob Fjord and Liz Sideris, Wadumbah – Kelrick Martin, The Disappearance – Ali
Winters
QCumber Best Animation – Short Form – $500
WINNER: JENEFER LOVED SWIMMING – DEREK WINCHESTER
Nominees: Jog On – Andrew Buckley, Cannibal Story – Ngayurnangallin – Erin Coates and Gabrielle Sullivan, What a
Debacle, Freddy Farkle! – Bridget Curran
UWA Best Student Film – $500
WINNER: THE PRESENCE IN THE ABSENCE – MICHELLE WILLIAMSON
Nominees: Adult Fiction – Liam Murray, In View – Lewis Russell, Smitten – Warra Spraggon
RTRFM 92.1 Best Music Video – $500
WINNER: THE CHEMIST – SILVER & GOLD – STEPHEN LLOYD AND DOMINIC PEARCE
Nominees: Emperors – Ready When I Say Go – Ben Young and Adam Livingston, Kucka – Rewind – Julia Ngeow and
Steve Hughes, Voyager – The Meaning Of I – Natalie Lewis and Ben Berkhout
FTI Best Game – $2000
WINNER: FREEDOM FALL – LISA RYE
Nominees: Square Off – Aranda Morrison, Deviator – Kate Neylon, Orbeats – Jason Wong
Curtin University Best Television Production – Factual – $2000
WINNER: THE MAN WHO JUMPED – JULIA REDWOOD AND ED PUNCHARD
Nominees: Eric Smith: Not Finished Yet – Kirrilly Brentnall, Desert War – Andrew Ogilvie, Andrewa Quesnelle and Phil
Craig, Student Shorts – Ruben Pracas, Tom Fonder and Mitch Ryan
Frog Management Best Live Television Production – $2000
WINNER: FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE – WTV
Nominees: The Buzz – WTV, Beyond Gardens Live – WTV, Perth Town Hall Election Debate – WTV
Burswood Honda Best Script – Short Form – $500
WINNER: THE LAKE – ALEXANDER FISHER
Nominees: Perished – Aaron McCann & Stefan Androv Radanovich, George Jones & the Giant Squid – Vincenzo
Perrella and Dan Osborn, The Things My Father Never Taught Me – Burleigh Smith
Canon Best Cinematography – Short Form – $500
WINNER: BUSH BASHER – ANDREW MCLEOD
Nominees: Crosshairs – Jim Frater, Voltaire Twins – Animalia – David Le May, The Little Astronaut – Lewis Potts
Canon Best Cinematography – Long Form – $500
WINNER: BLAME – TORSTEIN DYRTING ACS
Nominees: On a Wing and a Prayer – Leighton De Barros, The Precipice – Torstein Dyrting ACS, Desert War – Jim
Frater
FTI Best Production Design – Short Form – $500
WINNER: GEORGE JONES & THE GIANT SQUID – EMMA FLETCHER
The Life of Cardboard – Phoebe Bennett, I Love You Fish – Emily Stokoe, Henry & Aaron’s 7 Steps to Superstardom –
Ride the Coattails – Perrie Taylor
RTRFM 92.1 Best Sound – Short Form – $500
WINNER: GEORGE JONES & THE GIANT SQUID – OWEN HUGHES AND NATHAN GOULD
Nominees: Henry & Aaron’s 7 Steps to Superstardom – Ride the Coattails – Xoe Baird, Perished – Adrian Jolly, The
Door – Richard Termini
RTRFM 92.1 Best Sound – Long Form – $500
WINNER: DESERT WAR – RIC CURTIN AND GLENN MARTIN
Nominees: Blame – Ric Curtin, Jandamarra's War – Ric Curtin and Glenn Martin, The Precipice – Nathaniel Gould
Artcom Best Editing – Short Form – $500
WINNER: ELEVEN THIRTY – TIM WHITTINGSTALL
Ruby Boots – Wise Up – Noah Joseph James, Perished – Stefan Androv Radanovich, Henry & Aaron’s 7 Steps to
Superstardom – Ride the Coattails – Antony Webb
Artcom Best Editing – Long Form – $500
WINNER: DESERT WAR – LAWRIE SILVESTRIN
Outback Truckers – Jonathan Rowdon, Blame – Meredith Watson Jeffrey, MAL.COM – Episode 2 Secrets – Meredith
Watson Jeffrey
Creative Legal Best Original Music – Short Form – $500
WINNER: THE ARGENTINIAN ESCAPE – SAM CUTRI
Nominees: Life in Red String – Alex Brittain, George Jones & the Giant Squid – Ash Gibson Greig, What a Debacle,
Freddy Farkle! – Zaalen Tallis
Creative Legal Best Original Music – Long Form – $500
WINNER: JANDAMARRA'S WAR – ASH GIBSON GREIG AND JINUNYILI
Nominees: Jack the Ripper – Ash Gibson Greig, Desert War – Ash Gibson Greig, The Manuscript – Jamie Murgatroyd
QCumber Best Use of Visual FX – $500
WINNER: RUBY BOOTS – WISE UP – DAVID MCDONNELL, JULIUS JEPPE AND CLINT DAVIS
Nominees: The Argentinian Escape – Stuart Bender, George Jones & the Giant Squid – Double Barrell FX, Perished –
Dominic Pearce and Rob Woods
ScreenWest Outstanding Achievement in Script – Long Form – $2000
AWARDED TO: MISEDUCATION – KEIR WILKINS
ScreenWest Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Narrative – $2000
AWARDED TO: SOUND CHAMBER – YVETTE COYNE
ScreenWest Outstanding Achievement in Television Drama – $2000
AWARDED TO: THE GREAT MINT SWINDLE – RUSSELL VINES