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2019 AACTA Awards: The Nightingale Wins Best Film

Deborah Mailman, Damon Herriman and Lambs Of God also received nods.

Colonisation thriller The Nightingale has taken home the gong for Best Film at the AACTA Awards at a ceremony in Sydney on Wednesday.

The film was nominated for a whopping 12 awards, and went home with six trophies.

“The stories that have to be hold, will get made, if you have the passion and commitment,” producer Kristina Ceyton said at the ceremony.

Cast and crew of The Nightingale at the 2019 AACTA Awards.
Brendon Thorne via Getty Images
Cast and crew of The Nightingale at the 2019 AACTA Awards.

The Nightingale is the story of Irish convict Clare, played by Aisling Franciosi who won the award for Best Actress. Set in 1820s wild Tasmania, Clare wants nothing more than to receive her emancipation papers from her master Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin) so she can enjoy freedom with her husband and baby. But Hawkins and his English soldiers commit an unthinkable crime against Clare.

Clare forms an unlikely friendship with Aboriginal tracker Billy (Baykali Ganambarr) and together they overcome grief and horrendous brutalities inflicted by colonisers.

Ganambarr told HuffPost ahead of the awards that it is about time Australia’s history was told properly.

“The Nightingale shows the true history and depiction, it’s only scratching the surface there’s more to it,” he said.

“I love how Jennifer (Kent) wrote the script she’s definitely not sugar coating it. It’s brutally honest and it’s letting the world know this happened to our people and we’re still here in our country.”

Magnolia Maymuru received the AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actress for her debut performance in The Nightingale and Nikki Barrett won for Best Casting.

Director Kent won two gongs for Best Direction and Best Screen play.

Deborah Mailman accepts the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress In A Television Drama.
Brent Lewin via Getty Images
Deborah Mailman accepts the AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress In A Television Drama.
Stan Grant accepts the AACTA Award for Best Documentary.
Brendon Thorne via Getty Images
Stan Grant accepts the AACTA Award for Best Documentary.
 Cast and crew of Lambs of God pose with the AACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Mini Series.
Rocket K via Getty Images
Cast and crew of Lambs of God pose with the AACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Mini Series.

Film Awards

BEST FILM PRESENTED BY FOXTEL
Hotel Mumbai
Judy & Punch
The King
WINNER: The Nightingale
Ride Like a Girl
Top End Wedding

BEST INDIE FILM PRESENTED BY EVENT CINEMAS
Acute Misfortune
Book Week
WINNER: Buoyancy
Emu Runner
Sequin in a Blue Room

BEST DIRECTION
Anthony Maras Hotel Mumbai
Mirrah Foulkes Judy & Punch
David Michod The King
WINNER: Jennifer Kent The Nightingale

BEST LEAD ACTOR
Timothee Chalamet The King
Baykali Ganambarr The Nightingale
WINNER: Damon Herriman Judy & Punch
Dev Patel Hotel Mumbai
Hugo Weaving Hearts and Bones

BEST LEAD ACTRESS
Nazanin Boniadi Hotel Mumbai
WINNER: Aisling Franciosi The Nightingale
Teresa Palmer Ride Like a Girl
Miranda Tapsell Top End Wedding
Mia Wasikowska Judy & Punch

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
WINNER: Joel Edgerton The King
Damon Herriman The Nightingale
Andrew Luri Hearts And Bones
Ben Mendelsohn The King
Michael Sheasby The Nightingale

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Tilda Cobham-Hervey Hotel Mumbai
WINNER: Magnolia Maymuru The Nightingale
Hilary Swank I Am Mother
Bolude Watson Hearts And Bones
Ursula Yovich Top End Wedding

BEST DOCUMENTARY
WINNER: The Australian Dream
The Eulogy
The Final Quarter
In My Blood It Runs
Mystify: Michael Hutchence

BEST SCREENPLAY
Hotel Mumbai John Collee, Anthony Maras
Judy & Punch Mirrah Foulkes
The King David Michôd, Joel Edgerton
WINNER: The Nightingale Jennifer Kent

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Danger Close: The Battle Of Long Tan Ben Nott
Hotel Mumbai Nick Remy Matthews
WINNER: The King Adam Arkapaw
The Nightingale Radek Ladczuk

BEST EDITING
WINNER: Hotel Mumbai Peter Mcnulty, Anthony Maras
Judy & Punch Dany Cooper
The King Peter Sciberras
The Nightingale Simon Njoo

BEST SOUND
WINNER: Danger Close: The Battle Of Long Tan Liam Egan
Hotel Mumbai Sam Petty, Pete Smith, Nakul Kamte, James Currie, Peter Ristic
The King Robert Mackenzie, Sam Petty, Gareth John, Leah Katz, Mario Vaccaro, Tara Webb
The Nightingale Robert Mackenzie, Dean Ryan, Leah Katz, Pete Smith

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Danger Close: The Battle Of Long Tan Caitlin Yeo
Hotel Mumbai Volker Bertelmann (aka Hauschka)
WINNER: Judy & Punch François Tétaz
Ride Like A Girl David Hirschfelder

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Hotel Mumbai Steven Jones-Evans
Judy & Punch Jo Ford
WINNER: The King Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton
The Nightingale Alex Holmes

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Hotel Mumbai Anna Borghesi
Judy & Punch Edie Kurzer
WINNER: The King Jane Petrie
The Nightingale Margot Wilson

BEST ASIAN FILM
Andhadhun
Gully Boy
Hello, Love, Goodbye
Ne Zha
WINNER: Parasite
Shadow
Super Deluxe
The Wandering Earth
We Are Little Zombies

Jim Everett accepts the AACTA Award for Best Direction.
Brendon Thorne via Getty Images
Jim Everett accepts the AACTA Award for Best Direction.
Sarah Scheller and Alison Bell pose with the AACTA Awards for Performance in a Television Comedy and Best Comedy Program.
Rocket K via Getty Images
Sarah Scheller and Alison Bell pose with the AACTA Awards for Performance in a Television Comedy and Best Comedy Program.
Sam Neill accepts the Longford Lyell Award.
Brendon Thorne via Getty Images
Sam Neill accepts the Longford Lyell Award.

TV Awards

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Bloom (Stan)
Mr Inbetween (Foxtel – Showcase)
Secret City: Under The Eagle (Foxtel – Showcase)
WINNER: Total Control (ABC)
Wentworth (Foxtel – Showcase)

BEST TELEFEATURE OR MINISERIES
The Cry (ABC)
Fighting Season (Foxtel – Showcase)
The Hunting (SBS)
WINNER: Lambs Of God (Foxtel – Showcase)
On The Ropes (SBS)

BEST COMEDY PROGRAM
Frayed (ABC)
WINNER: The Letdown (ABC)
Rosehaven (ABC)
Sammy J (ABC)
Utopia (ABC)

BEST ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM
Australian Ninja Warrior (Nine)
Australia’s Got Talent (Seven)
Hard Quiz (ABC)
WINNER: Lego® Masters Australia (Nine)
The Masked Singer (Ten)

BEST FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM
Gogglebox Australia (Ten/Foxtel)
Gruen (ABC)
Todd Sampson’s Body Hack (Ten)
Who Do You Think You Are (SBS)
WINNER: You Can’t Ask That (ABC)

FOR BEST LIFESTYLE PROGRAM
Destination Flavour China (SBS)
Grand Designs Australia (Foxtel – Lifestyle)
The Great Australian Bake Off (Foxtel – Lifestyle)
WINNER: Love It Or List It Australia (Foxtel – Lifestyle)
Selling Houses Australia (Foxtel – Lifestyle)

BEST REALITY SERIES
WINNER: Australian Survivor: Champions V Contenders (Ten)

The Block (Nine)
Married At First Sight (Nine)
Masterchef (Ten)
My Kitchen Rules (Seven)

BEST CHILDREN’S PROGRAM
WINNER: Bluey (ABC Kids)

Drop Dead Weird (7Two)
Hardball (ABCME)
The Inbestigators (ABCME)
The Unlisted (ABCME)

BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
Patrick Brammall Glitch (ABC)
Bryan Brown Bloom (Stan)
Ewen Leslie The Cry (ABC)
Sam Reid Lambs Of God (Foxtel – Showcase)
WINNER: Scott Ryan Mr Inbetween (Foxtel – Showcase)

BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
Jenna Coleman The Cry (ABC)
Essie Davis Lambs Of God (Foxtel – Showcase)
Ann Dowd Lambs Of God (Foxtel – Showcase)
WINNER: Deborah Mailman Total Control (ABC)
Anna Torv Secret City: Under The Eagle (Foxtel – Showcase)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TELEVISION COMEDY
WINNER: Alison Bell The Letdown (ABC)

Celia Pacquola Rosehaven (ABC)
Celia Pacquola Utopia (ABC)
Rob Sitch Utopia (ABC)
Miranda Tapsell Get Krack!N (ABC)

BEST GUEST OR SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
Damon Herriman Lambs Of God (Foxtel – Showcase)
Damon Herriman Mr Inbetween (Foxtel – Showcase)
Ewen Leslie Fighting Season (Foxtel – Showcase)
WINNER: Richard Roxburgh The Hunting (SBS)
John Stanton Bloom (Stan)

BEST GUEST OR SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
Kate Box Les Norton (ABC)
WINNER: Rachel Griffiths Total Control (ABC)
Asher Keddie The Cry (ABC)
Brooke Satchwell Mr Inbetween (Foxtel – Showcase)
Jacki Weaver Bloom (Stan)

BEST DIRECTION IN A TELEVISION DRAMA OR COMEDY
WINNER: Lambs of God (Episode 1 – The Devil Into Paradise) Jeffrey Walker – Lingo Pictures (Foxtel – Showcase)

The Letdown (Episode 2 – The Dilemma) Sarah Scheller, Alison Bell – Giant Dwarf (ABC)
The Hunting (Episode 3 – #shittyboys) Ana Kokkinos – Closer Productions (SBS)
Total Control (Episode 3) Rachel Perkins – Blackfella Films (ABC)

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