The Slap dominates AACTA Awards

1 February 2012


Acclaimed 8-part drama The Slap has scored a huge five awards at this year’s Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, including ‘Best Telefeature, Miniseries or Short Run Series’, ‘Best Direction in Television’, ‘Best Screenplay’, ‘Best Lead Actor’ and ‘Best Guest or Supporting Actress’ in a Television Drama.

Based on Christos Tsiolkas’ best selling novel, The Slap traces the shattering repercussions of a single event, a man slapping a child who is not his own, on a group of family and friends. Following its acclaimed broadcast on ABC1 Australia and BBC4 in the UK in late 2011, The Slap is due to premiere in the US on DirecTV’s Audience Network, Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 10pm ET/PT.

Sisters Of War, also distributed internationally by DCD Rights, has won the Award for ‘Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama’. The 90-minute film is inspired by the true story of a small group of Australian nurses and nuns who found themselves in the eye of the storm when the Japanese military made them prisoners of war on the island of New Britain in 1942.

The AACTAs (formerly known as the AFIs) took place in Sydney on 30 January.

The Slap (8 x60’) produced by Matchbox Pictures for ABC Australia:

– AACTA Award for Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series
– AACTA Award for Best Direction in Television – Episode 3 ‘Harry’
– AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Television – Episode 3 ‘Harry’
– AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama – Alex Dimitriades
– AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama – Diana Glenn

Sisters of War (1×90’) produced by Pericles Films for ABC Australia:

– AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama – Sarah Snook