Australasian Cinema > awards > AACTAs 2018

AACTA Awards 2018 Feature Films in Competition

Awards ceremony Star Event Centre 5 December 2018, broadcast on Channel 7

See also: Oscars 2019.

38 feature films in competition

Ladies in Black is looking good at this early stage. The Merger has both drought and refugees, and is getting a lot of attention. Boy Erased is also up for a possible Oscar, with brilliant new star Lucas Hedges. Why is The Nightingale not in this list?

1% (Stephen MacCallum, 2017) wr. Matt Nable; Matt Nable, Ryan Corr, Abbey Lee, Josh McConville, Simone Kessell, Aaron Pedersen; bikies; WA; released 11Oct18

BBQ, The (Stephen Amis, 2018) wr. Stephen Amis, Serge De Nardo, Tim Ferguson, David Richardson, Angelo Salamanca, prod. Tait Brady, Lynne Wilson, Stephen Amis, Deb Fryers; Shane Jacobson, Magda Szubanski, Nicholas Hammond, Frederik Simpson, Manu Feildel, John Stanton, Julia Zemiro, Lara Robinson; comedy; released 22Feb18

Birthday Adjustment Disorder (Jed Malone, 2018) wr. Jed Malone, prod. Jed Malone; Jed Malone, Michela Carattini

Boy Erased (Joel Edgerton, 2018) wr. Joel Edgerton, prod. Steve Golin, Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, Joel Edgerton; Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton; gay conversion; released 2Nov18

Breath (Simon Baker, 2018) wr. Gerard Lee, Tim Winton (from his novel), Peter Duncan, Simon Baker, prod. Simon Baker, Jamie Hilton, Mark Johnson, dist. Arclight, Palace; Simon Baker, Elizabeth Debicki, Richard Roxburgh, Rachael Blake, Samson Coulter, Ben Spence; surfing; WA; released 3May18

Brothers' Nest (Clayton Jacobson, 2018) wr. Jaime Browne, Chris Pahlow, dp Peter Falk; Shane Jacobson, Clayton Jacobson, Kim Gyngell, Lynette Curran, Sarah Snook; black comedy; released 10May18

Cargo (Yolanda Ramke, Ben Howling, 2017) wr. Yolanda Ramke, prod. Kristina Ceyton, Samantha Jennings, dp Geoffrey Simpson; Martin Freeman, Anthony Hayes, Susie Porter, Caren Pistorius, Kris McQuade, Natasha Wanganeen, Bruce R. Carter, Simon Landers, David Gulpilil; zombies

Dad (Robert Lobosco, 2018) wr. Robert Lobosco, prod. Robert Lobosco; Robert Lobosco, Lani Hirst, Rajat Sharma, Frank Otis

Five Provocations, The (Angie Black, 2018) wr. Angie Black, prod. Angie Black; Tony Moclair, Sapidah Kian, Blake Osborn, Rebecca Bower

Flip Side, The (Marion Pilowksy, 2018) aka The Call Back; wr. Lee Sellars, Marion Pilowsky, prod. Sue Murray, David Willing, Marion Pilowsky; Eddie Izzard, Vanessa Guide, Emily Taheny, Luke McKenzie, Hugh Sheridan, Tina Bursill, Susie Youssef, Tiriel Mora; comedy; SA; release 30Aug18

Gateway, The (John V. Soto, 2018) aka Loved You Twice; wr. John V. Soto, Michael White; prod. Deidre Kitcher, Filmscope Entertainment; Jacqueline McKenzie, Hayley McElhinney, Myles Pollard, Shannon Berry, Ben Mortley, Ryan Panizza; scifi; WA; released 3May18

Gringo (Nash Edgerton, 2018) wr. Anthony Tambakis, Matthew Stone, prod. Rebecca Yeldham, Nash Edgerton; Joel Edgerton, Charlize Theron, David Oyelowo, Thandie Newton; comedy; released US 9Mar18

In Like Flynn (Russel Mulcahy, 2018) wr. Corey Large, Steve Albert, Luke Flynn, Alexander Djamirze, dp Peter Holland; Thomas Cocquerel, Corey Large, William Moseley, Clive Standen, Callan Mulvey, Isabel Lucas, David Wenham, Dan Fogler; biopic; released 11Oct18

Indigo Lake (Martin Simpson, 2017) wr. Martin Simpson, prod. Brian Cobb, Jonas McLallen, dp Rodrigo Vidal-Dawson; Andrew Cutcliffe, Miranda O'Hare, Marin Mimica, Gerard Webb, Pamela Shaw, Nicole Verhoeven, Lauren Clair

Innocent Killer (Jon-Claire Lee, 2017) wr. Jon-Claire Lee, prod. Jon-Claire Lee, Asif Khan, dp Dion Wilton; Asif Khan

Jirga (Benjamin Gilmour, 2018) wr. Benjamin Gilmour, prod. John Maynard, dp Benjamin Gilmour; Sam Smith, Mohammad Mosam, Kefayat Lag Humani; war drama, Afghanistan; 78 min.; Australian entry for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar

Just Between Us (Christopher Kay, 2018) wr. Deanna Ortuso, prod. Joanne Nguyen, Deanna Ortuso, dp Filip Laureys; Deanna Ortuso, Clayton Jacobson, John Jarratt, Matt Prodan, Andy Rhodes, Joanne Nguyen, Calista Fookes, Kaarin Fairfax, Alison Morley

Ladies in Black (Bruce Beresford, 2018) wr. Sue Milliken, Bruce Beresford, prod. Allanah Zitserman, Sue Milliken, dp Peter James; Ryan Corr, Julia Ormond, Angourie Rice, Rachael Taylor, Noni Hazlehurst, Vincent Perez, Shane Jacobson, Susie Porter; comedy; release 20Sep18

Lego Ninjago Movie, The (Charlie Bean, Paul Fisher, Bob Logan, 2017) wr. Bob Logan, Paul Fisher, William Wheeler, Tom Wheeler, Jared Stern, John Whittington; Jackie Chan; animation; released 30Mar17

Lost Gully Road (Donna McRae, 2017) wr. Donna McRae, Michael Vale, prod. Liz Baulch, Donna McRae; Adele Perovic, John Brumpton, Jane Clifton; horror

Mary Magdalene (Garth Davis, 2018) wr. Helen Edmundson, Philippa Goslett, prod. Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Liz Watts, dp Greig Fraser; Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix, Tahar Rahim, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ariane Labed; biopic; released 16Mar18

Me and My Left Brain (Alexandros Lykos, 2018) wr. Alexandros Lykos, prod. Alexandros Lykos; Alexandros Lykos, Rachael Beck, Mal Kennard, Chantelle Barry, Janette Patricia Lakiss Condylis, Natalia Ladyko; comedy

Merger, The (Mark Grentell, 2018) wr. Damian Callinan, prod. Anne Robinson; Damian Callinan, John Howard, Kate Mulvany, Fayssal Bazzi, Rafferty Grierson, Josh McConville, Nick Cody, Angus McLaren, Stephen Hunter, Penny Cook, Ben Knight, Harry Tseng, Sahil Saluja, Francis Kamara, Aaron Gocs, Zenia Starr, Michelle Brasier; asylum seekers and football; NSW; released 30Aug18

Occupation (Luke Sparke, 2018) wr. Luke Sparke, Felix Williamson; Dan Ewing, Temuera Morrison, Stephanie Jacobsen; Felix Williamson, Jacqueline McKenzie, Bruce Spence; scifi; released 12Jul18

Peter Rabbit (Will Gluck, 2018) Beatrix Potter story; animation; released 22Mar18

Pretend One, The (Tony Prescott, 2017) wr. Tony Prescott, James Raue; prod. Tony Prescott, Dinusha Ratnaweera; Michael Whalley, Benedict Wall, Geraldine Hakewill, David Field, Elijah Perris, Alice Roberts, Fiona Press; drama

Pulse (Stevie Cruz-Martin, 2017) wr. Daniel Monks; Caroline Brazier, Daniel Monks, Scott Lee; fantasy

Rabbit (Luke Shanahan, 2017) wr. Luke Shanahan; Adelaide Clemens, Alex Russell, Veerie Baetens; thriller

Second, The (Mairi Cameron, 2018) wr. Stephen Lance, dp Mark Wareham; Rachael Blake, Susie Porter, Vince Colosimo, Martin Sacks, Susan Prior, Megan Dale, Bridget Webb; thriller; release 5Jul18

Strange Colours (Alena Lodkina, 2017) wr. Alena Lodkina, Isaac Wall, dp Michael Latham; Kate Cheel, Justin Courtin, Daniel P. Jones; shot Lightning Ridge

Survive or Die (Daniel Okoduwa, Mike Kang, 2018) wr. Mike Kang, Daniel Okoduwa; Felino Kolloso, Hawa Barnes, Emmanuella Samuel; refugee

Sweet Country (Warwick Thornton, 2017) prod. David Jowsey, Greer Simpkin, wr. Steven McGregor, David Tranter, dp Dylan River, Warwick Thornton; Bryan Brown, Matt Day, Tremayne and Trevon Doolan, Anni Finsterer, Natassia Gorey-Furber, John Gibson, Ewen Leslie, Lachlan J. Modrzynski, Hamilton Morris, Sam Neill, Sotiris Tzelios, Thomas M. Wright; western

Swinging Safari (Stephan Elliott, 2018) aka Flammable Children; wr. Stephan Elliott, prod. Jamie Hilton, pd Colin Gibson, costume Lizzy Gardiner, music Guy Gross, ed. Sue Blainey; Guy Pearce, Kylie Minogue, Radha Mitchell, Jeremy Sims, Julian MacMahon, Asher Keddie; set in Dee Why, 1975, satire; released 18Jan18

Undertow (Miranda Nation, 2018) wr. Miranda Nation, prod. Lyn Norfor, dp Bonnie Elliott; Rob Collins, Laura Gordon, Olivia DeJonge, Josh Helman, Marianne Jade

Upgrade (Leigh Whannell, 2018) wr. Leigh Whannell, dp Stefan Duscio; Richard Anastasios, Rosco Campbell, Richard Cawthorne, Linda Cropper; scifi; release 14Jun18

Watch the Sunset (Tristan Barr, Michael Gosden, 2017) wr. Tristan Barr, Michael Gosden; Tristan Barr, Mitchell Booth, Catherine Dawson; Michael Gosden; bikie

West of Sunshine (Jason Raftopoulos, 2017) wr. Jason Raftopoulos; Damian Hill, Ty Perham, Arthur Angel, Kat Stewart, Tony Nikolakopoulos, Kaarin Fairfax, Faye Smythe; drama; released 23Aug18

Winchester (Michael & Peter Spierig, 2018) Helen Mirren, Sarah Snook, Jason Clarke, Angus Sampson; thriller; released 22Feb18

Thanks to IF Mag.


I make these lists every year as a way of keeping in touch with what one might assume are the best Australian feature films at the time. I do the same with Oscar possibilities for the same reason, mutatis mutandem. But ...

In 2012, The Sapphires - about an Aboriginal singing group - won eleven PC awards. Blind Freddy could have seen that Burning Man was the best film that year.

In 2013, The Great Gatsby won best film and six craft awards, tho it has nothing to do with Australia. Leonardo DiCaprio won best actor! WTF?

In 2016, another American story, Hacksaw Ridge, won most of the awards. It's a war film set in Okinawa. There are no Australian characters in the story.

In 2017, Lion won 12 of the 14 awards, and it wasn't the best film - but at least one-third of it was actually set in Australia.


Garry Gillard | New: 21 July, 2018 | Now: 30 October, 2018