Local Stars Shine at WA Screen Awards

8 March 2010

Organisation

Those lucky enough to attend the 23rd WA Screen Awards were given a glimpse of the future of Western Australian film as the local industry celebrated the accomplishments of 2009 with a gala awards ceremony.

Big winners in the Early Career categories included Vincenzo Perrella and Dan Osborn who took out the Hog’s Breath Café – Best Film Award as well as the Curtin University – People’s Choice Award with their gleefully sardonic short film This is Perth. Their film broke new ground in popularising Western Australian shorts and has been viewed by more than 140,000 people on YouTube.

Rising talent Michael Hoath took out the coveted FTI – Young Filmmaker of the Year Award, which is presented to someone aged 25 years or under who has shown great promise in their film career. This year’s decision was hotly contested, with the Award receiving the highest number of nominations in its 10 year history.

Michael had a busy year in 2009, completing his first professional directing job on children’s television show Castaway, and graduating from the WA Screen Academy. His graduating film, The Bucks Party was nominated for Best Director and Best Actor at the Awards. He wrote and produced a short film that was selected as a finalist in The Doorpost Film Project which secured $15,000 funding for his next short, Crossroad. Michael is currently developing a feature film and working on television concepts.

FTI CEO Graeme Sward said that the awards should assist emerging filmmakers in establishing themselves in film and television.

“I hope that the Awards are an inspiration to filmmakers for what can be achieved in Western Australia. We are lucky to have such a supportive industry network with numerous opportunities to get great films made and seen though initiatives run by ScreenWest and the Film & Television Institute,” he said.

Acclaimed ABC telemovie 3 Acts of Murder by Taylor Media received the Lotterywest Award for Outstanding Achievement for a Production. Its producer Sue Taylor was also recognised with the Lotterywest Award for Outstanding Achievement for a Practitioner.

3 Acts of Murder featured a stellar cast and crew including director Rowan Woods and writer Ian David. The miniseries was nominated for four Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards in 2009 including Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series, Best Actor in Television, Best Guest or Support Actor in a Television Drama and won the Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama for Anni Finsterer.

Sue Taylor has produced or line produced close to $30million of film and television drama in Western Australia during her career. A number of her productions have achieved significant recognition in 2009.

WINNERS:

Bill Warnock Award
Regan Bennet

Best Secondary Production
Blue Ponies and White Skies
Jade Bates, Eliza Kavanagh, Chloe Leaker and Ella Jackson
Presbyterian Ladies’ College

Best Short Animation
Hairoes
Produced by Bridget Curran , Directed by Gaetan Raspanti and Jesse Emmerson

Best Tertiary Production
Mia
Written and Directed by Elyse Hickey, Produced by Tamara Small
Curtin University

Best Original Music Composition
Andrew Clarke
Runner

Best Sound
Jonathan Jenkin
Boxed In

Best Editor
Stephen Carroll
Water

People’s Choice
This Is Perth
Dan Osborn and Vincenzo Perrella

Best Cross Platform Media
Cut & Paste DVD Magazine
Dirty Stylus Productions and The Penguin Empire

Best Production Design
Monique Wajon
Little Boxes

Best Cinematography
Kat Goddard
Hidden Clouds

Best Actor
Daniel Garrett
Chasing Rabbits

Best Actress
Melanie Munt
Trinkets

Best Music Video
Sugar Army – Tongues in Cheeks
Dominic Pearce and Jamie Sher

Best Screenplay
Magdalena Wozniak
Stuffed

Best Documentary
My Nan and the Yandi
Produced by Jennifer Gherardi, Directed by Denise Groves

Best Director
Corrie Jones
Water

Best Film
This is Perth
Dan Osborn & Vincenzo Perrella

Lotterywest Award for Outstanding Achievement – Production
Taylor Media
3 Acts of Murder

Lotterywest Award for Outstanding Achievement – Practitioner
Sue Taylor

Young Filmmaker of the Year
Mike Hoath

Lotterywest Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry
John Rapsey

Lotterywest Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry
Carmelo Musca

Image: Michael Hoath, FTI Young Filmmaker of the Year. Photo: Bohdan Warchomij