2016 AACTA Awards Unveil Documentary & Short Film Nominees

The sixth annual AACTA Awards are starting to take shape, with organisers revealing this year's list of nominees for the Best Documentary, Short Animation and Short Fiction Film categories ahead of next month's full program reveal.

The documentaries to make the cut for consideration include striking flicks such as Eva Orner's Chasing Asylum, which marks the director's first AACTA nomination and delves into the prickly world of Australian offshore detention, as well as Dan Jackson's In The Shadow Of The Hill, a first-hand look at life inside Rio de Janeiro's largest slum. Also up for the gong are Nikolas Bird and Eleanor Sharp's Remembering The Man, which ties into Timothy Conigrave's memoir-turned-movie Holding The Man, about his relationship with John Caleo, and Snow Monkey, a joint effort from veteran nominee Lizzette Atkin and director George Gittoes.

Meanwhile, padding out the Best Short Animation rank and file are Joel Best, Alex Jeremy and Alex Karonis' The Albatross, Marieka Walsh and Donna Chang's The Crossing, Bonnie Forsyth and Grace Lim's Femme Enfant and ANgie Fielder, Brendan Fletcher and Del Kathryn Barton's Oscar Wilde's 'The Nightingale & The Rose', while the Best Short Fiction Film shortlist is comprised of Bluey (Darlene Johnson, Heather Oxenham), Dream Baby (Lucy Gaffy, Kiki Dillon), Homebodies (Yianni Warnock, Charles Williams) and Nathan Loves Ricky Martin (Steven Arriagada, Llewellyn Michael Bates, Bryan Chau). 

"AACTA proudly makes these outstanding productions accessible to Australian audiences wherever they are via four weeks of in-cinema screenings in Sydney and Melbourne, and online via AACTA TV which can be viewed anytime, anywhere," AACTA chief executive Damian Trewhella said in a statement. "The Official Screenings Program complements our year-round Screen Culture & Industry Development Program, which since launching in 2014 has already seen more than 11,000 general public and industry members attend more than 160 events, screenings, masterclasses and Q&As with cast and crew in Sydney and Melbourne.

"On behalf of AACTA, I congratulate all nominees announced today, and look forward to a robust competition as the countdown to the 6th AACTA Awards presented by Presto in Sydney officially begins."

The 2016 AACTA Awards will be held at two major events in Sydney this December. Keep your eyes peeled for further announcements, and see the event's Facebook page for more information.