Australian film producer Bruna Papandrea and actress Elizabeth Debicki will be honoured at the annual Australians in Film Awards, which will be held in Los Angeles in October.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Papandrea, who founded the US production company Pacific Standard with Hollywood actress Reese Witherspoon, will receive the organisation's highest award, the Orry Kelly Award.
The award, named after Australia's first Oscar-winner Orry Kelly, is given to an individual who paves the way for Australians in the entertainment industry. Kiama-born Kelly was one of Australia's early Hollywood players, an industry leading costume designer who won Oscars for his work on An American in Paris, Les Girls and Some Like It Hot. Kelly died in 1964.
"Bruna's international career has been extraordinary, and it continues at great speed," Australians in Film chairman Tracey Vieira said. "She is always open to helping emerging talent and [we are] thrilled to honour her."
25-year-old Debicki will receive the Australians in Film "breakthrough" award, acknowledging her success in the United States, with roles in Guy Ritchie’s Man from UNCLE, Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth and in the film Everest. Her earlier work includes Stephan Elliot’s A Few Best Men and Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby.
She is the first of two "breakthrough" recipients this year, Australians in Film said. The second will be announced at a later date. Hollywood studio executive Bill Mechanic will also be honoured on the night, as the recipient of this year’s Ausfilm International Award, which acknowledges an individual's contribution to the Australian film industry.
During his seven-year tenure as chairman and chief executive of Fox Filmed Entertainment, Mechanic "consistently recognised the outstanding talent to come out of Australia, Ausfilm's chief executive Debra Richards said.
Mechanic oversaw production of Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo & Juliet, and with his new company, Pandemonium Films, filmed The Moon and the Sun, starring Pierce Brosnan and William Hurt, and Paul Currie’s 2:22, in Australia.
Mechanic is presently in Sydney working on the new Mel Gibson film Hacksaw Ridge. "Bill has always been a great supporter of Australian talent in front of and behind the camera," Richards said.
Australians in Film was founded in 2001 as a Los Angeles-based non-profit organisation intended to promote the presence and prominence of Australians working in the entertainment industry.
The awards will be handed out at a dinner held in Los Angeles on October 25 at the Intercontinental Hotel. The event will be hosted by the TV Week Gold Logie Award winning co-host of The Project, Carrie Bickmore.
