Two Australian produced shows for Disney+ have been recognised with seven nominations for the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards, to be held in February.
The Clearing, which was given a four-star rating by ScreenHub in May, has received nominations for:
- Best Miniseries.
- Best Costume Design in Television (Episode 1) – Erin Roche.
- Best Sound in Television (Episode 1) – Roger van Wensveen, David Williams, Ralph Ortner.
The cast of The Clearing was also recognised, with Teresa Palmer (Discovery of Witches) nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Drama and Guy Pearce (Jack Irish, Mare of Easttown) nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama.
The Clearing, the first scripted Disney+ Australian Original series, premiered internationally in May under the company’s the Star banner, and ranked as one of the most viewed local Originals on Hulu in the US in its first month.
Filmed across Victoria, the eight-part psychological thriller is based on the best-selling crime thriller In The Clearing by author JP Pomare, inspired real-life cults in Australia and around the world.
In her review for ScreenHub, Mel Campbell wrote:
The Clearing recognises that cults thrive on complicity, not raw domination. And it explores with satisfying ambivalence how traumatised people can delude themselves that they’ve mastered their past.
The Clearing on Disney+ review: a juicy look at cults and complicity
The six-part series Matildas: The World at Our Feet, meanwhile, has received AACTA Award nominations for Best Documentary or Factual Program and Best Direction in Nonfiction Television (Episode 2) – Katie Bender Wynn.
The series, which follows the Australian women’s national football team on their journey towards the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, premiered on Disney+ in April. The behind-the-scenes docuseries follows the stories of players, including global superstar Sam Kerr, Ellie Carpenter, Mary Fowler and more, as the Matildas revealed the sacrifices they’ve made and struggles they’ve endured as they strive to become the best in the world’s most popular sport.
Matildas: The World at Our Feet was produced for Disney+ by Barking Mad Productions and Station 10 Media in association with Fremantle and Boardwalk Pictures.