2013 WA Screen Awards announced

The Film & Television Institute (FTI) announced the winners of the 25th annual WA Screen Awards (WASAs) to a crowd of over 600 at a red carpet Gala Awards Ceremony at The Astor Theatre on Friday night.

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) on Friday night; Mat de Koning, who’s debut feature-length documentary Meal Tickets is in post-production; Maziar Lahooti, who won Best Director at the 2013 WASAs 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 can be seen at www.cinefestoz.com.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

Nominees: 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