FCCA Annual Awards for Australian Film – A Guest Report by Peter Kemp (and photos of the event!)

A guest post by one of our members Peter Kemp, 6th April 2019.

You can view the nominates and winners of the evening here. To view all photos from the night, scroll to the end of the post.

Last night’s FCCA Awards ceremony was a true ‘night-of-nights’.

Firstly, the turn-up was heartening, and the buzz in the room was brimming with excitement, good will, and anticipation. Secondly, the evening’s MC, actor-director-writer, Les Asmussen, instantly made us all feel ‘at home’, and hosted the event with informal wit and gossipy grace (Is there anyone in Oz showbiz that Les doesn’t know? LOL) Thirdly, the presenters were a stellar lot (from gorgeous, heartfelt Frances Duca across to equally gorgeous, high-cheekboned, Oz vet-thesp, Mark Lee, and sister Anna, right over to dashing superstar-director-writer, Simon Baker, similarly dashing, vet-thesp, Andrew Macfarlane, and culminating in downright lady-legends, Amanda Muggleton and Lorraine Bayly) – who all comported themselves with personable professionalism and topical relevance. Now I think of it, stunning Simon B. was only ‘just’ a winner not a presenter – but, hey, what a winning winner!….

The actual winners comprised an evenly spread bunch, with both Warwick Thornton’s emotionally wrenching SWEET COUNTRY and Simon Baker’s utterly exhilarating BREATH doing egregiously well . Presenting the Best Screenplay award to BREATH, writer Angela Wales paid wry and ever-due tribute to the often-overlooked, but indispensable, craft of scriptwriting – go, Angela!

The catering was superb, offering guests bounteous plates of deluxe finger-food, that just kept coming, and the FCCA Film Trivia Quiz proved to be challenging and fun. The whole enjoyable event went off with a festive bang. Full credit to all involved, especially our intrepid and resourceful Coordinator and Awards Manager, the formidable and apparently indefatigable Adrienne McKibbins.

Final verdict: Two thumbs up – best FCCA Awards night ever!

Photos of the 2018 FCCA Awards