Stateless and Babyteeth dominate AACTA Awards

In the end, acclaimed ABC TV miniseries Stateless swept all of its categories at the AACTA Awards, repeating what Babyteeth had done in film.

Babyteeth and Stateless swept this year’s AACTA Awards, the prestigious industry awards for Australian film and TV productions.

Over two ceremonies on Monday, Shannon Murphy’s drama film Babyteeth and ABC TV miniseries Stateless won the top honours in their categories as well as all four acting categories plus screenwriting and directing prizes.

Stateless won the TV miniseries award as well as Lead Actress for Yvonne Strahovski, Lead Actor for Fayssal Bazzi, Supporting Actor for Darren Gilshenan and Supporting Actress for Cate Blanchett, plus Best Direction for Emama Freeman and Best Screenplay for Elise McCredie.

The six-part ABC miniseries was created by McCredie, Blanchett and Tony Ayres and follows the stories of people trapped within Australia’s immigration detention centres, including a man and his daughter fleeing Taliban rule and an Australian woman inspired by the Cornelia Rau scandal.

Yvonne Strahovski won Best Lead Actress in Television Drama for Stateless

Babyteeth won Best Film, Best Director for Murphy, Best Screenplay for Rita Kalnejais, Lead Actress for Eliza Scanlen, Lead Actor for Toby Wallace, Supporting Actress for Essie Davis and Supporting Actor for Ben Mendelsohn.

The poignant film was released earlier this year in cinemas and told the story of a terminally ill teenage girl who becomes involved with a warm but troubled young man as her parents tried to deal with their impossible situation.

Babyteeth swept the AACTA film categories

Other winners included Mystery Road, Have You Been Paying Attention, MasterChef, Bluey, Mad As Hell, Upright, Standing Up for Sunny, Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra and Better Days.

Presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts and by Foxtel, the awards recognise the best in Australian film and TV.

Full list of winners:

Best Film: Babyteeth

Best Direction in Film: Shannon Murphy, Babyteeth

Best Screenplay in Film: Rita Kaljenais, Babyteeth

Best Lead Actor in Film: Toby Wallace, Babyteeth

Best Lead Actress in Film: Eliza Scanlen, Babyteeth

Best Supporting Actor in Film: Ben Mendelsohn, Babyteeth

Best Supporting Actress in Film: Essie Davis, Babyteeth

Best Indie Film: Standing Up for Sunny

Best Documentary: Firestarter – The Story of Bangarra

Best Asian Film: Better Days

Best Short Film: The Mirror

Best VFX or Animation: The Eight Hundred

Best Telefeature or Miniseries: Stateless

Best Drama Series: Mystery Road

Best Comedy Series: Upright

Best Reality Program: MasterChef Australia

Best Entertainment Program: Have You Been Paying Attention?

Best Lifestyle Program: The Living Room

Best Online Entertainment: The Norris Nuts

Best Online Drama or Comedy: Love in Lockdown

Best Children’s Program: Bluey

Best Comedy Entertainment Program: Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell

Best Factual Entertainment Program: Gogglebox Australia

Best Documentary or Factual Program: Murder in the Outback – The Falconio and Lees Mystery

Best Lead Actor in Television Drama: Fayssal Bazzi, Stateless

Best Lead Actress in Television Drama: Yvonne Strahovski, Stateless

Best Supporting Actress in Television Drama: Cate Blanchett, Stateless

Best Supporting Actor in Television Drama: Darren Gilshenan, Stateless

Best Comedy Performer: Tim Minchin, Upright

Best Presenter: Rebel Wilson

Best Screenplay in Television: Elise McCredie, Stateless

Best Direction in Television: Emma Freeman, Stateless

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