AACTA Lights Up the Gold Coast with a Star-Studded 5 Day Festival of Events Including the AACTA Awards Hosted by Rebel Wilson

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) celebrated an extraordinary week of film, television and entertainment HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast. Hosted by Rebel Wilson, the prestigious AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel Group brought worldwide attention to the Gold Coast. The star-studded AACTA Awards and Festival brought the Australian screen industry together with appearances from Margot Robbie, Cate Blanchett, Simon Baker, Patrick Brammall, Harriet Dyer, Anna Torv, Tom Gleeson, Joel Edgerton, Rob Collins, Leah Purcell, Harry Connick Jr., Celeste Barber, Brooke Satchwell, Pallavi Sharda and acclaimed director Ron Howard, who had just finished filming Eden in the state.

After the ceremony, guests attended a glamorous after party held in partnership with Vogue and Rabanne, with performances by music legends Flight Facilities and Owl Eyes.

Attracting over 10,000 attendees, AACTA has further positioned the Gold Coast as the centre for screen innovation and excellence in Australia. AACTA Festival transformed HOTA into a vibrant centre for professional exchange and insight. Boasting an impressive line-up of events that catered to film enthusiasts, industry professionals, and the general public alike. From exclusive screenings, movie deconstructions, thought-provoking discussions, interactive seminars, and insightful masterclasses, the festival embraced the diversity and depth of the Australian screen industry including a special effects makeup masterclass with Chad Atkinson, live script reads, speed networking events, Village Roadshow studio tours, and exclusive preview screenings.

Festival participants were able to engage with some of the country’s most celebrated directors, writers, gamers, and digital stars including Danny and Michael Philippou, Kat Clark, Marta Dusseldorp, Michael Gracey, Liv Hewson, Luke Hemsworth, Warwick Thornton, Brenton Thwaites, Lachlan and Jaxon Fairbairn and more. The Festival also featured discussions on some of this year’s biggest productions including The New Boy panel featuring Cate Blanchett, Colin From Accounts featuring Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer, Talk to Me, Yellowjackets, The Newsreader, Better Man, Bluey, and The Royal Hotel.

The AACTA Festival also featured the inaugural Screen Careers Expo, presented in partnership with Essential Screen Skills, which attracted students and budding filmmakers from across Australia. An Australia first, the Expo offered a wealth of valuable resources, networking opportunities, training and employment information, and an opportunity for the next generation to meet and receive firsthand advice from AACTA Award winning filmmakers. Exhibitors included Bond University, Griffith, QUT, Tafe Qld, AFTRS, New York Film Academy, Australian Performing Arts Conservatory, Cutting Edge, and NEP, and topics explored in panels and masterclasses ranged from Digital content creation, Special Effects, Screen composition, Acting, Direction through to securing employment and sustaining creativity. As well a live and fully rigged film set that gave attendees an opportunity to see and interact with an actual set. The expo provided a unique chance to engage directly with potential future employers in the industry and gain insights into the diverse career paths available in the exciting world of screen.

The AACTA Awards saw the culmination of various AACTA Development initiatives including the inaugural Brian Walsh Award for Emerging Talent where AACTA Vice President Nicole Kidman offered a prize of $50,000 to Ngali Shaw; the Reg Grundy Award, which sees Rachel Berger supported with $50,000 toward the development of her new TV format; AACTA Young Stars gave 50 incredibly talented young actors an opportunity to work with world class casting directors and a chance to receive ongoing mentorship and International opportunities and support; and the announcement of the next Regional Landscapes in partnership with Screenworks at the live read for Moonshot.

AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella comments, "We are incredibly grateful to Queensland for embracing AACTA, and the success of the AACTA Awards and Festival on the Gold Coast has been nothing short of extraordinary. This week showcased the best in Australian cinema and television, bringing global attention to our vibrant industry.”

AACTA Chair Jack Christian added, "The 2024 AACTA Awards have ushered in a new era for the Academy, celebrating a unique festival of diverse events and activities that showcased the country’s dynamic screen innovation. We extend heartfelt thanks to our community, partners, and all the talented individuals who made this distinctive event a beacon of creativity and excellence in the industry."

Amanda Laing, Foxtel Group Chief Commercial and Content Officer and BINGE Managing Director said: “What a fantastic few days showcasing the best of Australian storytelling at this year’s AACTA Awards. 

“The quality and range of content that has captured our imagination and attention over the past year is truly remarkable, and something that as an industry we should all be very proud of.

“Congratulations again to all the winners and those nominated, and to the AACTAs for providing a platform to recognise and celebrate Australian stories.”

The 2024 AACTA Awards Ceremony is available on Channel Ten. A special director’s cut including all awards from the ceremony is available on BINGE, Foxtel On-Demand, Tubi, BiliBili and on AACTA TV. Clips from the show will be available AACTA’s YouTube Channel.

Queensland’s Tourism Minister Michael Healy said it had been wonderful to celebrate the industry’s successes in Australia’s home of screen production, the Gold Coast.

“Congratulations to all the nominees and eventual winners and to everyone involved for lighting up the Gold Coast for this weeklong celebration of our screen industry right here on the glitter strip.

“There was an incredible spotlight shone on our world-class visitor experiences, our incredibly talented local performers, and our supreme screen production capabilities.

“The eyes of the world were on the Gold Coast with the event telecast to a global audience, for the first time, highlighting what a powerhouse the Gold Coast is in Australian film and television production.”

Queensland Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said the 2024 AACTA Festival shone a global spotlight on the state’s flourishing screen industry.

“Through its wonderful program of events – from the AACTA Awards celebrating the very best of our screen culture to the Screen Careers Expo illuminating pathways for the next generation of practitioners – the AACTA Festival further emphasised Queensland’s reputation as a screen industry hub. 

“Our state is home to incredible talent on and off screen, and the Queensland Government, through the great work of Screen Queensland, is proud to have supported the AACTA Festival to make the Gold Coast its home.”

“Our partnership with AACTA shows the screen industry’s confidence in the Gold Coast as a major player on the national and international stage,” said Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate.

“We were excited to host not only the AACTA Awards, but the first AACTA Festival - over 110 events dedicated to creativity, collaboration and networking at the HOTA Cultural Precinct.

“The Gold Coast loves the spotlight and we're proud to partner with AACTA in recognising and supporting the very best of Australian talent. Bring on the next two years.”

The success of the AACTA Awards and Festival on the Gold Coast reaffirms Australia's position as a hub for creative excellence in the world of film and television. As the curtains close on this year's festivities, anticipation builds for the continued growth and recognition of Australian talent in the years to come.

By delivering a diverse and robust line-up of over 110 events, the festival underscored the Gold Coast's vital contribution to nurturing creativity, facilitating collaboration, and advancing educational opportunities in the realm of screen production.

Key Details:

For a full list of AACTA Award winners click here.

For information on the AACTA Festival, click here.