The AACTA Awards - Some curmudgeonly thoughts on the nominations

I suspect I’ll be accused of curmudgeonly behaviour, but really.

The AACTA Awards this year cover eight pages of nominations and as you read down them you have to wonder about their length and breadth. 

Why it is that AACTA feels the need to include  Best Lifestyle Program (DESTINATION FLAVOUR SINGAPORE Erik Dwyer, Jason Franklin – SBS, GOURMET FARMER Josh Martin, Sonja Armstrong – SBS, GRAND DESIGNS AUSTRALIA Anna Gregory – Foxtel/Lifestyle, and SELLING HOUSES AUSTRALIA Geoff Fitzpatrick, Duane Hatherley – Foxtel/Lifestyle).

Selling Houses Australia! Oh, please.

Or the need to give an award for  BEST REALITY TELEVISION SERIES (nominees being AUSTRALIAN SURVIVOR Peter Newman, Amelia Fisk, Tim Toni, Mark Barlin – Network Ten, LITTLE BIG SHOTS Shaun Murphy, Sophia Mogford, Nick Davies – Seven Network, MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Marty Benson, Adam Fergusson, Tim Toni – Network Ten, MY KITCHEN RULES Joe Herdman, Matt Apps – Seven Network)

My Kitchen Rules! God Almighty!

And I’m not sure that much is added to reputations or the sum of knowledge for an award FOR BEST DIRECTION IN A TELEVISION LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT, LIFESTYLE OR REALITY SERIES (AUSTRALIAN NINJA WARRIOR Episode 1 Gary Deans – Nine Network, AUSTRALIAN SURVIVOR Episode 1 Richard Franc – Network Ten,  JULIA ZEMIRO’S HOME DELIVERY Episode 1 – Sam Neill Damian Davis – ABC MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA Episode 1 Richard Franc – Network Ten)

I know, this is getting to be excruciating!

Then there is the award for AACTA SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AWARD FOR BEST FEMALE PRESENTER (Shaynna Blaze SELLING HOUSES AUSTRALIA – Foxtel/Lifestyle, Margaret Pomeranz STAGE & SCREEN – Foxtel/Arts,  Yvonne Sampson FOX SPORTS – Foxtel/Fox Sports,  Jess Yates FOX SPORTS – Foxtel/Fox Sports

Someone from Foxtel is going to win that one. My money would be on Margaret who is also member of the Jury judging the best Asian film and who will have to judge the worth of the likes of Train to Busan and Wolf Warrior 2. Awesome!

Awesome being one thing but impossible to comprehend springs to mind that there is an award also to be given to AACTA SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AWARD FOR BEST MALE PRESENTER (Paul Murray PAUL MURRAY LIVE – Foxtel/Sky News,  Neil Oliver COAST AUSTRALIA – Foxtel/History,  David Speers PM AGENDA/SPEERS TONIGHT – Foxtel/Sky News  Andrew Winter SELLING HOUSES AUSTRALIA – Foxtel/Lifestyle)

I know there’s a limited field of Foxtel personalities but…Paul Murray! I’m dumbstruck.

In among all the awards for feature movies there is nothing at all for the sprightliest debut of the year Gregory Erdstein & Alice Foulcher’s That’s Not Me whose virtues I extolled after its screening at the Sydney Film Festival and which you can check out here.

And finally, notwithstanding everything, how it is that an American ‘documentary’ about actors being cast for a role in an American movie on an esoteric American subject can receive a nomination for Best Australian Documentary ahead of Warwick Thornton’s Sydney Film Festival Opening Night triumph We Dont Need A Map is simply beyond me.  

We Don't Need A Map

For all eight pages of the details you can go here