The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) has given top awards to Oscar frontrunners Zoe Saldaña, Guy Pearce and the film A Real Pain during the 14th AACTA International Awards, celebrating the best in global film and television.
Nicole Kidman won the award for Best Lead Actress for her role in Babygirl, taking her to a total of four AACTA International Award wins. Saldaña won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez, for which she also won a Golden Globe.
ScreenHub: Babygirl review: the stakes are high but the orgasms seem worth it
In her four-star review of Babygirl for ScreenHub, Rochelle Siemienowicz wrote:
‘Kidman plays Romy, the high-powered CEO of a New York robotics company. Her use of age-defying technologies is not so much about vanity as it is about maintaining power, control and relevance in a competitive and sexist corporate environment. (A bit like the movie business, really …)
‘We first meet Romy in bed, thrashing atop a man later revealed as her husband, the handsome, successful playwright, Jacob (Antonio Banderas). The camera stays uncomfortably close, refusing to let us see both characters in the same frame.’ Read more …
Guy Pearce won Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Brutalist. British performer Ralph Fiennes won Best Lead Actor for his commanding role in Conclave, for which he is also competing for an Oscar.
ScreenHub: Conclave film review: pope opera sizzles with pontificate pulp
Better Man, the biopic inspired by the life of the performer Robbie Williams, secured two wins from its six nominations. The film claimed Best Film, while Australian director Michael Gracey won the AACTA International Award for Best Direction in Film. The international accolades add to Better Man’s remarkable sweep at the AACTA Awards Ceremony and Industry Gala, where it took home nine prestigious awards, including Best Film and Best Direction in a Film.
Jesse Eisenberg, meanwhile, picked up the AACTA International Award for Best Screenplay for A Real Pain, adding to the Oscar momentum for the film in the Best Original Screenplay category.
TV Triumphs
In television, Shōgun won Best Drama Series, while The Bear cemented its place as a standout series, taking home Best Comedy Series.
ScreenHub: The Bear Season 3 has divided viewers and critics – but why?
Comedian Larry David won the AACTA International Award for Best Actor in a Series for his final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Elizabeth Debicki secured the AACTA International Award for Best Actress in a Series for her acclaimed portrayal of Princess Diana in The Crown.
‘This year’s AACTA International Awards highlight the strength and diversity of storytelling across the globe,’ said a spokesperson for the awards, ‘while reaffirming Australia’s place as a powerhouse in the entertainment industry’.
14th AACTA INTERNATIONAL AWARDS – FILM
- International Award for Best Film: Better Man
- International Award for Best Direction in Film: Michael Gracey (Better Man)
- International Award for Best Screenplay in Film: Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain)
- International Award for Best Lead Actor in Film: Ralph Fiennes (Conclave)
- International Award for Best Lead Actress in Film: Nicole Kidman (Babygirl)
- International Award for Best Supporting Actor in Film: Guy Pearce (The Brutalist)
- International Award for Best Supporting Actress in Film: Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez)
14th AACTA INTERNATIONAL AWARDS – TELEVISION
- International Award for Best Drama Series: Shōgun
- International Award for Best Comedy Series: The Bear
- International Award for Best Actor in a Series: Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
- International Award for Best Actress in a Series: Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown)
