Justin Kurzel’s Nitram and Stephen Maxwell Johnson’s High Ground lead the way at the nominations for the 2021 AACTA Awards with seven nods each including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.
Presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts whose membership contains professionals from a cross-section of the screen industry, the awards are considered the highest honour in Australian film. Winners will be announced at the Sydney Opera House on December 8. Full list of nominations below.
Best Film
The Dry
The Furnace
High Ground
Nitram
Penguin Bloom
Rams
Best Indie Film
Disclosure
Ellie and Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt)
Lone Wolf
Moon Rock For Monday
My First Summer
Under My Skin
Best Direction in Film
Rob Connolly – The Dry
Roderick MacKay – The Furnace
Stephen Maxwell Johnson – High Ground
Justin Kurzel – Nitram
Glendyn Ivin – Penguin Bloom
Best Lead Actor in Film
Simon Baker – High Ground
Eric Bana – The Dry
Caleb Landry Jones – Nitram
Ahmed Malek – The Furnace
Jacob Junior Nayinggul – High Ground
Best Lead Actress in Film
Rose Byrne – Peter Rabbit 2
Judy Davis – Nitram
Noni Hazlehurst – June Again
Genevieve O’Reilly – The Dry
Naomi Watts – Penguin Bloom
Best Supporting Actor in Film
Michael Caton – Rams
Baykali Ganambarr – The Furnace
Anthony LaPaglia – Nitram
Sean Mununggurr – High Ground
Jack Thompson – High Ground
Best Supporting Actress in Film
Essie Davis – Nitram
Claudia Karvan – June Again
Esmerelda Marimowa – High Ground
Miranda Tapsell – The Dry
Jacki Weaver – Penguin Bloom
Best Original Screenplay in Film
Ellie and Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt) – Monica Zanetti
The Furnace – Roderick MacKay
High Ground – Chris Anastassiades
June Again – JJ Winlove
Nitram – Shaun Grant
Best Adapted Screenplay in Film
The Dry – Rob Connolly, Harry Cripps
Penguin Bloom – Shaun Grant, Harry Cripps
Peter Rabbit 2 – Will Gluck, Patrick Burleigh
Rams – Jules Duncan