The 28th West Australian Screen Awards
The West Australian Screen Awards (WASAs) is the premier celebration of West Australian screen culture, celebrating excellence and achievements in feature film, short film, web series, music videos, television production, documentary, games and interactive productions. Rhys Nicholson will be hosting the 28th annual gala awards ceremony in the State Theatre Centre of WA in the stunning Heath Ledger Theatre as an opening event to the Revelation Perth International Film Festival on Monday 4 July 2016. The WASAs are an FTI initiative held to enhance the vibrancy of the Western Australian screen sector through increasing awareness and connecting screen practitioners of all disciplines and career stages. Winners will once again receive the beautiful custom made Geoffrey Drake-Brockman trophy unveiled last year. For a reminder of last year’s event, check out the video. The 2016 red carpet event will feature VIP guests, delicious canapés and premium beverages. Over 500 film industry leaders, Western Australian screen practitioners, media, sponsors and industry partners will come together to celebrate the very best in West Australian screen production.
2016 NOMINEES ANNOUNCED2015’s winners included ‘Pinch’ (Best Feature Film – Drama, Best Original Music – Long Form), ‘Karroyul’ (Best Short Film – Drama, Best Editing – Short Form), ‘Drumbeat Quest’ (Best Game), ‘God Squad’ (Best Animation, Best Sound – Short Form, Best Original Music – Short Form), ‘Prison Songs’ (Best Editing – Long Form, Best Sound – Long Form, Best TV Production – Long Form, Best Direction – Long Form) and Young Filmmaker of the Year Lauren Brunswick.FTI received a grand total of 404 entries from 120 screen projects across 30 categories. Two of this year’s most-nominated projects include short drama We Were Here directed by David Vincent Smith and produced by Joshua Gilbert and Simon Camp, as well as short comedy Flushed, directed and produced by Richard Eames, which each received 6 nominations. ABC comedy TV series The Legend of Gavin Tanner, written and directed by Matt Lovkis and Henry Inglis and produced by Lauren Elliott received 5 nominations, as did short drama Sol Bunker, produced by Glen Stasiuk and directed by Nathan Mewett. The 2016 WASA Young Filmmaker of the Year nominees will be announced shortly.“The WASAs are one of the most important events on the cultural calendar in Western Australia. Our screen sector is growing and diversifying towards becoming our most important creative industry and the role that FTI and the WASAs play in the development of new talent coming through, as well as the celebration of the achievements of more established players, is and will continue to be critical to that growth” said CEO of FTI, Paul Bodlovich.
Former WASA winners include some of Australia’s most prominent screen practitioners such as Nelson Woss (Red Dog), Elissa Down (The Black Balloon), Zak Hilditch (These Final Hours), Robert Connolly (The Turning), James Bogle (Lockie Leonard, The Circuit, Closed for Winter), Sue Taylor (The Tree, Last Train to Freo), Myles Pollard (Drift) as well as a who’s who of the next generation of household names including Lauren Elliott, Ben Young, Emilia Jolakoska, Antony Webb and seasoned professionals including Kim Lord, Lawrie Silvestrin, and Torstein Dyrting.