Horror hit sweeps the AACTA Awards
The blood-soaked supernatural film Talk To Me emerged as the evening’s biggest winners in the nation’s cinema and TV.
At the 2024 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) awards, this year’s grizzliest film emerged as the most decorated.
Talk To Me, the blood-soaked horror film from twin YouTubers Danny and Michael Philippou took out eight AACTAs gongs, including a win for best film and best director, with star Sophie Wilde beating out Cate Blanchett for the best lead actress trophy.
Talk To Me, the blood-soaked horror film from twin YouTubers Danny and Michael Philippou took out eight AACTAs gongs, including a win for best film and best director, with star Sophie Wilde beating out Cate Blanchett for the best lead actress trophy.
The film, which was shot on a $7 million budget in 2022, made its international debut at the Sundance Film Festival last January, where it was picked up by the cool kid distributor A24 for a “high seven figures” sum.
Talk To Me went on to take more than $140m globally, becoming A24’s highest-grossing horror film, and second-highest-grossing film — following the Oscar-winner Everything Everywhere All At Once — to date.
It was a Gold Coast homecoming for Barbie megastar Margot Robbie, who arrived on the red carpet wearing a custom remake of a shimmering, corsetted gown from Vivienne Westwood’s spring/summer 1998 collection.
Robbie was this year’s recipient of the AACTA trailblazer award, an honour reserved for Australian screen artists “whose body of work has served as an inspiration to others.”
She was delivered her honour by Cate Blanchett, who was dressed as a “middle-age Barbie” in a pink tinsel dress, and oversized polka dot headband. The segment included pre-filmed congratulatory messages from the likes of Brad Pitt, Barbie director Greta Gerwig and co-star America Ferrera, and Charlize Theron.
Accepting her award, Robbie said that the stories that come from Australia are “wild and bold and fierce and unflinching,” paying homage to influential filmmakers like Peter Weir, Baz Luhrmann, Justin Kurzel, and Cate Shortland, as well as recognising emerging talents.
“I just want to contribute to the extraordinary narratives, and be good enough to stand alongside you all,” she said.
Robbie and her box office phenomenon Barbie, which was contentiously shut-out of the best picture race at the upcoming Academy Awards, took home six trophies — including a win for best international actress and best international film.
In television, the drama series The Newsreader and the comedy series Deadloch emerged as the big winners of the evening.
The second season of the 1980s-set newsroom drama won five trophies, including best television drama series, best direction, best lead actress for Anna Torv and best supporting actor for Hunter Page-Lochard.
Deadloch, a bonkers crime series set in a fictional Tasmanian town, also won five awards including best comedy series, best acting in a comedy for Kate Box, best screenplay, best editing and best original score.
In her acceptance speech for best actor, Box used the moment to express solidarity with the Palestinian people amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. She called on the audience to acknowledge “settler violence on the stolen lands” affecting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities worldwide.
“We can choose to radically reimagine ourselves, that community and our world so let us please call action on that ceasefire now,” she said. Free Palestine.”
In a poignant moment of the ceremony, the late Cal Wilson, a New Zealand-born comedian who succumbed to cancer last October, posthumously received the award for Best Comedy Performer. Her husband, Chris Woods, and son, Digby, movingly took the stage to accept the trophy on her behalf.
2024 AACTA Awards Winners List
Best Direction in Film
Talk to Me – Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Best Film
Talk to Me – Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton – Causeway Films
Best Lead Actor in Film
Aswan Reid – The New Boy
Best Lead Actress in Film
Sophie Wilde – Talk to Me
Best Supporting Actor in Film
Hugo Weaving – The Rooster
Best Supporting Actress in Film
Deborah Mailman – The New Boy
Best Casting in Film presented by Casting Networks
Shayda – Anousha Zarkesh
Best Cinematography in Film
The New Boy – Warwick Thornton
Best Costume Design in Film
Carmen – Emily Seresin
Best Editing in Film presented by Spectrum Films
Talk to Me – Geoff Lamb
Best Hair and Makeup presented by Hask
Talk to Me – Rebecca Buratto, Paul Katte, Nick Nicolaou
Best Indie Film
Limbo – Ivan Sen (Dir.), David Jowsey, Greer Simpkin, Rachel Higgins – Bunya Productions
Best Original Score in Film
Talk to Me – Cornel Wilczek
Best Production Design in Film
The New Boy – Amy Baker
Best Screenplay in Film
Talk to Me – Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman
Best Sound in Film
Talk to Me – Emma Bortignon, Pete Smith, Nick Steele
Best Acting in a Comedy Series
Kate Box – Deadloch
Best Children’s Program
Bluey – Joe Brumm, Charlie Aspinwall, Sam Moor, Daley Pearson – Ludo Studio (ABC)
Best Comedy Entertainment Program
Hard Quiz – Chris Walker, Kevin Whyte, Tom Gleeson, John Tabbagh – Thinkative Television and ABC (ABC)
Best Comedy Performer presented by Network Ten
Cal Wilson – The Great Australian Bake Off
Best Drama Series
The Newsreader – Joanna Werner, Michael Lucas – Werner Film Productions (ABC)
Best Factual Entertainment Program
Old People’s Home for Teenagers – Tony De La Pena, Tara McWilliams, Emily Potts – Endemol Shine Australia (ABC)
Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series presented by Binge
Hugo Weaving – Love Me
Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series presented by Binge
Anna Torv – The Newsreader
Best Lifestyle Program
Gardening Australia – Gill Lomas – ABC TV (ABC)
Best Miniseries
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart – Jodi Matterson, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky, Barbara Gibbs, Sarah Lambert, Glendyn Ivin – Made Up Stories, Amazon Studios, Fifth Season (Amazon Prime Video)
Best Narrative Comedy Series
Colin From Accounts – Ian Collie, Rob Gibson, Patrick Brammall, Harriet Dyer – Easy Tiger (Binge, Foxtel)
Best Reality Program
MasterChef Australia – David Forster, Simon Child, Eoin Maher, April Mackay – Endemol Shine Australia (Network Ten)
Best Screenplay in Television
Deadloch Episode 1 – Kate McCartney, Kate McLennan
Best Stand-Up Special
Hannah Gadsby: Something Special – Hannah Gadsby, Kevin Whyte, Kathleen McCarthy, Jenney Shamash, Frank Bruzzese – Guesswork Television Pty Ltd (Netflix)
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Hunter Page-Lochard – The Newsreader
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Heather Mitchell – Love Me
Best Casting in Television presented by Casting Networks
Deadloch – Alison Telford, Kate Leonard
Best Cinematography in Television
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart Episode 1 – Sam Chiplin
Best Costume Design in Television
The Newsreader Episode 4 – Zed Dragojlovich
Best Direction in Drama or Comedy
The Newsreader Episode 4 – Emma Freeman
Best Direction in Nonfiction Television
The Australian Wars Episode 1 – Rachel Perkins, Dylan River, Tov Belling
Best Documentary or Factual Program
The Australian Wars – Darren Dale, Rachel Perkins, Belinda Mravicic – Blackfella Films Pty Ltd (NITV, SBS)
Best Editing in a Documentary
The Australian Wars – Andrea Lang, Mark Atkin, Hilary Balmond
Best Editing in Television
Deadloch Episode 1 – Angie Higgins
Best Entertainment Program
Eurovision Song Contest 2023 – Grand Final – Paul Clarke, Emily Griggs – Blink TV Production Pty Ltd (SBS)
Best Original Score in Television
Deadloch Episode 1 – Amanda Brown
Best Production Design in Television
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart Episode 1 – Melinda Doring
Best Sound in Television
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart Episode 6 – David Lee, Robert Mackenzie, Leah Katz, James Ashton
Best Documentary
John Farnham: Finding The Voice – Poppy Stockell (Dir.), Mikael Borglund, Paul Clarke, Martin Fabinyi, Olivia Hoopmann – Beyond Oz in association with Blink TV Production
Best Cinematography in a Documentary
The Giants – Sherwin Akbarzadeh
Best Original Score in a Documentary
The Dark Emu Story – Caitlin Yeo, Damien Lane
Best Sound in a Documentary
Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story – David Williams
Best Online Drama or Comedy
Latecomers – Liam Heyen, Hannah Ngo, Angus Thompson, Emma Myers, Nina Oyama, Madeleine Gottlieb, Alistair Baldwin – Mad Ones Films & Lazy Susan Films
Best Short Film
Finding Addison – Francisca Braithwaite, Jess Milne, Nick Bolton – Blue Sparrow Entertainment
Best Visual Effects or Animation
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny — Andrew Whitehurst, Kathy Siegel, Alistair Williams, Julian Hutchens, Ian Cope – Rising Sun Pictures
Trailblazer Award
Margot Robbie
Byron Kennedy Award Recipient
Bruna Papandrea
Brian Walsh Award Recipient
Ngali Shaw
Reg Grundy Award Recipient
Rachel Berger (Seriously Funny)
Audience Choice Award for Favourite TV Show
Ginny & Georgia
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favourite Film
Barbie
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favourite Actress
Margot Robbie
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favourite Actor
Adam Sandler
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favourite Australian Media Personality
Sophie Monk
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favourite Australian Digital Creator
Kat Clark and family @katclark
AACTA Audience Choice Award for Favourite Australian Sporting Moment
Soccer: Matilda’s World Cup run
International Award for Best Actor in a Series
Jeremy Allen White – The Bear
International Award for Best Actress in a Series
Sarah Snook – Succession
International Award for Best Comedy Series
The Bear
International Award for Best Direction in Film
Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan
International Award for Best Drama Series
Succession
International Award for Best Film
Barbie
International Award for Best Lead Actor in Film
Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
International Award for Best Lead Actress in Film
Margot Robbie – Barbie
International Award for Best Screenplay in Film
Poor Things – Tony McNamara
International Award for Best Supporting Actor in Film
Ryan Gosling – Barbie
International Award for Best Supporting Actress in Film
Vanessa Kirby – Napoleon
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