AACTA Membership

Becoming an AACTA Member

Members of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) play an important role in shaping the Australian screen industry, particularly through voting in the annual peer-assessed AACTA Awards, and therefore professionals with screen credits in feature film, documentary, television, short fiction and/or animation are invited to apply.

AACTA membership is granted to screen professionals only through an accreditation process based on documentation (such as your CV or portfolio pieces) which evidences your qualifications and work within the industry. To check if you are eligible, please refer to the AACTA Membership Accreditation Fact Sheet.

To apply to join AACTA, please fill in our membership form (hosted on the former AFI site as our full transition to the AFI | AACTA site continues).

Important membership note regarding the 2^nd AACTA Awards – Please note that the membership cut-off date to join AFI or AACTA to enact voting privileges in the 2^nd AACTA Awards was Wednesday 24 October, 2012.

Chapter Allocation

AACTA members are allocated into AACTA chapters based on their areas of craft specialisation.

AACTA comprises 15 chapters representing a cross-section of the screen industry including production across all screen crafts, distribution, exhibition and television networks.

Chapter allocation, which impacts voting rights, is determined on an individual basis, and is determined by areas of experience and specialisation, as evidenced by your CV and screen credits.

AACTA is overseen by the AACTA President, Geoffrey Rush, and an Honorary Council — a selection of highly skilled screen craft specialists, each representing the 15 chapters.

Over time, the Honorary Council will help determine policy and strategic pathways for AACTA and for the industry, in particular assisting in determining the best ways in which to recognise and award screen industry excellence.

Please see the Honorary Council Diagram for more information.

Member Benefits & Entitlements

One of the most important entitlements of AACTA membership is the privilege to vote in the annual peer-assessed AACTA Awards – Australia’s highest screen accolades.

AACTA members are eligible to vote in AACTA Award categories according to their accreditation(s) and chapter(s). They may also be eligible to become an AACTA Awards juror, judging non-feature and television entries; AACTA calls for jurors annually.

Each of AACTA’s following mandates benefits members:

International promotion – of Australia’s performers, practitioners and productions, including through the AACTA Awards - Australia’s stamp of success, which creates new opportunities for members within Australia and abroad.

Galvanising the industry – AACTA’s 15 chapters represent a cross-section of the industry including production across all screen crafts, distribution, exhibition and television networks, ensuring all crafts and sectors are represented and connected.

Providing leadership – led by Geoffrey Rush as President, AACTA is supported and represented by some of Australia’s most talented screen professionals on its Honorary Council, which oversees AACTA’s chapters and provides leadership.

Consulting the industry – following the industry consultation which guided and supported the establishment of AACTA, further consultation is planned to identify industry trends and issues.

Facilitating professional development – AACTA partners with Guilds to provide professional development and networking opportunities; examples include forums with AACTA Award-nominated directors and writers.

Additional Member Benefits

• Complimentary access to the AACTA Awards Screenings - an opportunity to view the nominated Feature Length Documentaries, Short Film and Short Animations, as well as catching up on any films you missed in release, over our four-week Festival.
• Discounted cinema tickets – our cinema partners throughout Australia, including Hoyts, Greater Union, Village and Palace, offer exclusive AFI member discounts. For the full list, click here.
• Discounted entry to film festivals – throughout Australia, including Melbourne International Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival and Adelaide Film Festival. For the full list, click here.
• Special rates for magazine subscriptions – receive discounted subscriptions to leading film industry publications, including Inside Film, Encore, FilmInk and Variety. For the full list, click here.
• AACTA TV access - restricted member login access to the year’s AACTA Award nominated Short Fiction Films and Short Animations, and other quality curated content which is not easily accessible elsewhere. To access AACTA TV, click here.
• Australian film and television archive access – housed at the AFI Research Collection at RMIT in Melbourne

Membership Fees

AACTA membership is an annual program that runs concurrent with the financial year on a pro-rata basis. Membership fees are as follows:

Join or Renew Now

How to apply

1. Before applying, please carefully read through the AACTA Membership Accreditation Fact Sheet to determine whether you believe you are eligible to become an AACTA member. All applicants must supply a current CV or filmography attesting to their experience within the film industry in support of their application/accreditation.
2. To join as a new member of AACTA, please complete the online membership form (hosted on the AFI site). Your membership will be pending until your CV is received and your eligibility is approved by the AACTA Membership Department.

Note: All new membership applications must be submitted online. Membership applications take approximately 14 business days to process.

How to renew

1. Renewing Current or Recently Expired Memberships: If your membership expired less than six months ago, you can renew your membership here (please ensure you have your membership number on hand). Alternatively you can renew your membership over the phone by contacting the AFI | AACTA Membership department on 1300 139 697.
2. Renewing Lapsed Memberships: If your membership expired more than six months ago, you can apply to renew your membership and become a member of AACTA by contacting the AFI | AACTA Membership department on 1300 139 697.
   Note: You will not need to re-apply for accreditation unless your screen credits have changed.