WHO WILL BE THE NEXT GUY PEARCE, MATT DAY, RYAN KWANTEN OR ISABEL LUCAS TO JUMP OUT OF THE BOX? WHO HAS MADE THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTION TO THE LANDSCAPE OF AUSTRALIAN TV?
The IF Awards today announced nominees for two new TV awards recognising the immense talent on our screens as well as those people behind the scenes responsible for cultivating our local industry. The Docklands Studios Melbourne IF Award for Contribution to TV will acknowledge a person who has underpinned the strength of the industry over at least 10 years while the Out of The Box IF Award will recognise an emerging talent who is likely to make the jump to the big screen in the future.
Guy Pearce’s (Animal Kingdom, The Hurt Locker) career began with a regular role in Neighbours, and Isabel Lucas (Transformers, The Waiting City) and Ryan Kwanten (Red Hill, Griff the Invisible) both made the move from Home and Away to international stardom. Similarly fellow Home and Away alumni Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek, Thor) and Isla Fisher (Confessions of a Shopaholic, Wedding Crashers) are US based now and starring in international productions.
An industry panel including TV executive producer Kim Vecera and TV producer Steve Knapman, agent Mark Morrissey, actor Matt Day and Emmy nominated casting director Christine King have selected nominees that they feel can achieve big screen success. The winner will be decided by a public vote which opens tomorrow, 13th October, at www.ifawards.com and runs until Sunday 7th November.
Nominees for the IF Out Of The Box Award are:
Hugo Johnstone Burt – played the role of Adam Andrews in Underbelly: The Golden Mile and has landed a lead role in as Fish in the upcoming mini-series adaptation of Tim Winton’s novel Cloudstreet
Firass Dirani – Following roles in TV series such as Kick and East West 101, Firass Dirani became a household name with his role as John Ibrahim in Underbelly: The Golden Mile.
Eva Lazzaro – At the tender age of fifteen Eva Lazzaro already has credits including Blue Heelers, Underbelly, The Elephant Princess, Satisfaction and The Pacific. Her most recent role as Gigi Kovac in Tangle has wowed critics and audiences alike.
Katherine Hicks – Katherine Hicks graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2004, with a role as Tess Mason in Heartbreak High already under her belt. She went on to star as Poppy Hammond in soap Out of the Blue before landing her current role as Heidi Wilson in Channel Nine’s Rescue Special Ops.
Richard Davies – Davies appeared in shows including Neighbours, The Saddle Club, Rush and Bed of Roses before landing his breakout role of Jimmy Proudman in Channel Ten’s Offspring.
Ryan Corr – Corr’s TV career started seven years ago with the role of Matthew McDougal in The Sleepover Club. He has since appeared in shows including Blue Water High, Underbelly: The Golden Mile and Tangle. This year he joined the cast of Channel Seven’s Packed to the Rafters as Coby Jennings.
As people continue to build careers across both film and television, IF will also be acknowledging the television industry professionals whose work has created an environment and platform for the development of creative talent in Australia through a second new category the Contribution to Television Award. The panel have shortlisted nominees for the Docklands Studios Melbourne IF Award for Contribution to TV and the winner will be announced at the IF Awards on November 14.
Nominees for the Docklands Studios Melbourne IF Award for Contribution to TV are:
Rob Sitch – Sitch has Executive Produced, written and directed for shows including The Panel, The Hollowmen, Thank God You’re Here and Santo, Sam and Ed’s Cup Fever. He has also appeared in front of the camera as both an actor and comedian.
Andrew Denton – In addition to his public role as the host of ABC’s Enough Rope with Andrew Denton, Denton has been Executive Producer on shows including Enough Rope, :30 Seconds, The Gruen Transfer, Hungry Beast and The Chaser.
Brian Walsh – Walsh is the man credited with revitalising Channel Ten in the 1980s with the launch of Neighbours. He also successfully relaunched rugby league with a multi-million dollar TV campaign starring Tina Turner alongside the game’s star players. Walsh is now Foxtel’s Executive Director of Television and Marketing the home of programs including Love My Way, Spirited, Australia’s Next Top Model and The Contender Australia.
Posie Graeme-Evans – Graeme-Evans was the creator of long running drama series McLeod’s Daughters. The Co-creator of Hi-5, Posie is a former Director of Drama for the Nine network. Credits include commissioning Two Twisted from Bryan Brown and Sea Patrol from Hal and Di McElroy, she was also Executive Producer for The Alice and Little Oberon. In 2002 Variety Magazine named Posie as one of twenty significant women in international Film and TV, the same year SPAA acknowledged her as Independent Producer of the Year.
Steve Vizard – Vizard is one of Australia’s foremost comedians and television hosts who has interviewed over 2000 people for television including Bob Hope, Audrey Hepburn, Oliver Reed and Bette Midler. He has gone on to executive produce countless shows including Fast Forward, Jimeoin, Full Frontal and The Eric Bana Show Live. Vizard currently hosts a show on Melbourne Talk Radio.
Kim Williams – Williams has been Chief Executive at Foxtel since 2001 and has lead spearheaded a number of innovative initiatives including videos on demand and time shift recording. Under his leadership Foxtel have commissioned some of Australia’s most acclaimed drama series including Love My Way and Spirited.
John Edwards – Edwards is the man behind some of Australia’s best loved dramas. He is the creator and Producer/Executive Producer of shows including The Secret Life of Us, Love My Way, Rush, Tangle and Offspring. He has also produced Police Rescue, Marking Time and Spirited.
Hal McElroy – McElroy is the creator and Executive Producer of some of Australia’s most popular television series Blue Heelers, Water Rats, Murder Call and Sea Patrol.
Mark and Carl Fennessy – Television executives and brothers Mark and Carl Fenessy launched and managed the renowned Crackerjack Productions. When Crackerjack merged with Grundy to form FremantleMedia Australia Mark and Carl were the CEO and COO respectively until 2009 when they left to set up Shine Productions Australia. The Fennessys are behind shows including Backberner, Jamie’s Kitchen Australia and CNNNN.
Penny Chapman – Chapman is the producer of the television dramas RAN: Remote Area Nurse, The Road From Curain and The Cooks; and the documentaries Rampant, Darwin’s Lost Paradise and The Track. She is the executive producer of the mini-series Brides of Christ, The Leaving of Liverpool, Blue Murder and Heartland. She is currently producing part two of the children’s series My Place, the ABC crime drama The Straits (with Helen Panckhurst), the documentary Leaky Boat and executive producing the factual series, Sex: An Unnatural History.
The 2010 Inside Film Awards, Sydney will take place at the City Recital Hall Angel Place on Sunday November 14. Tickets are on sale now at www.cityrecitalhall.com and are for over-18 years only.
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