‘Animal Kingdom’ sweeps the 2010 AFI Awards
By Rama Gaind
This year’s most talked about film – Animal Kingdom – released on DVD by Madman Entertainment has triumphed at the 2010 Samsung Mobile AFI Awards ceremony held last week.
The gritty drama received 10 awards out of a record 18 nominations.
The ceremony was hosted by the jocular Shane Jacobson (Kenny) at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne on December 11. Guests included American actor Willem Dafoe, who has recently been shooting a thriller in Tasmania.
Accepting her award for ‘Best Actress’, Jacki Weaver gave a show-stealing speech via videolink from Sydney, stating that after such a long career in the industry “…it’s wonderful to be reassured that you haven’t been barking up the wrong tree for 48 years”.
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association presented the prestigious ‘Best Supporting Actress’ award to Weaver at the 36th annual awards ceremony – held in Los Angeles on December 12. The award is yet another prominent accolade for Weaver on the campaign trail to the 2011 Oscars, who was also awarded the illustrious ‘Best Supporting Actress’ award by the National Board of Review earlier in the month.
The complete list of AFI Awards for Animal Kingdom is as follows.
– Samsung Mobile Award for Best Film – Animal Kingdom
– AFI Award for Best Direction – David Michôd
– AFI Award for Best Original Screenplay – Animal Kingdom, David Michôd
– AFI Award for Best Lead Actor – Ben Mendelsohn
– AFI Award for Best Lead Actress – Jacki Weaver
– AFI Award for Best Supporting Actor – Joel Edgerton
– Reader’s Choice Award – Animal Kingdom
– AFI Members’ Choice Award – Animal Kingdom
– AFI Award for Best Editing – Animal Kingdom, Luke Doolan
– AFI Award for Best Original Music Score – Animal Kingdom, Antony Partos,
Sam Petty
The producer of Animal Kingdom, Liz Watts, said: “We are so very, very thrilled by the wins over the weekend at the AFIs – its topped an amazing year for the film and for everyone who has contributed to it. With Jacki also getting the nod from the LA Film Critics this morning, it really has been an incredible few days. Congratulations to everyone involved with Animal Kingdom!”
Paul Wiegard, Managing Director, Madman Entertainment added: “It has been a wonderful experience – from the first day of production to winning International praise at Sundance – then through a successful domestic release. Without a doubt, Animal Kingdom will become a reference film for years to come.”
Several other Madman and SBS DVD releases also picked up prestigious awards at the Saturday ceremony and the December 10 Industry Awards – including ‘Best Children’s Television Animation’ for dirtgirlworld, ‘Best Short Animation’ for The Lost Thing, and ‘Best Documentary Series’ for Liberal Rule: The Politics that Changed Australia.
Awards list
The full list of awards is as follows:
– AFI Award for Best Screenplay in Television – Wilfred II
– AFI Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama – Deborah Mailman, Offspring.
– AFI Award for Best Children’s Television Animation – dirtgirlworld
– AFI Award for Best Documentary Series – Liberal Rule: The Politics that Changed Australia
– AFI Award for Best Short Animation –
