By FilmInk Staff
Elaine Crombie and Heather Mitchell AM as guest presenters
APRA AMCOS and the Australian Film Composers Guild (AGSC) are pleased to announce that writer, director and producer Rachel Perkins has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Australian Screen Awards. Rachel will receive the honor at the Screen Music Awards to be held at Narm’s Forum Melbourne on Tuesday 29 October.
With a career spanning more than 30 years in film and television, Perkins is one of Australia’s most important storytellers. She has produced award-winning television dramas, documentaries and feature films including Bran Nue Dae, Jasper Jones, Mabo, Mystery Road, One Night the Moon, Radiance, Redfern Now, The Australian Wars and Total Control.
In 1992, Perkins founded Blackfella Films, a production company focused on Indigenous representation and culturally significant stories told by and with Indigenous filmmakers. One of these is the groundbreaking award-winning seven-part documentary series First Australians (co-written, directed and co-produced by Rachel), which is Australia’s best-selling educational title.
Perkins has made significant contributions to the screen industry through various leadership roles. From 2004 to 2008, she served on the Australian Film Board and since 2009 has been a distinguished member of the Screen Australia Board. Earlier this year, Rachel was appointed Chair of the Australian Film, Television and Radio Schools Council. She previously served on the council from 1998 to 2003.
Rachel Perkins has received numerous awards throughout her illustrious career, including multiple AACTA, ADG, and AFI awards. In 2011 he was awarded the Australian International Documentary Council Stanley Hawes Award for his contribution to documentary filmmaking in Australia, and in 2017 he was awarded the National Dreamtime Award for Lifetime Award for his contribution to film and culture. Received the Achievement Award.
Her continued work as a writer, producer, director, board member and festival director is a testament to her passion, advocacy and skill in bringing Australia’s Indigenous stories to screen.
Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS, added: “Rachel’s influence on Australian film is not only remarkable, it is transformative. Her ability to tell stories that touch and resonate with the heart and soul of this country has made us not just Australians, but the world. has contributed to our perspective and understanding as a nation.
“Through Rachel’s storytelling, we understand the power of film to bridge divides and reflect our struggles, triumphs and common humanity. Her stories inspire people, whether Indigenous or non-Indigenous, to , woven into the fabric of our national narrative. They ask us to look deeper, to understand more fully, and to walk in the shoes of those whose experiences are different from ours. .
“We are delighted to welcome Rachel to our esteemed ranks of Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, and we know her work will inspire, move and shape the way Australians see themselves for generations to come. I know it will go.”
Past recipients of the Australian Film Award of Distinction include Bruce Beresford, Nerida Tyson-Chew, Nigel Westlake and Robert Connolly.
Joining event host Susie Youssef as guest presenters at the Screen Music Awards will be proud Pijantjatjara, Waligmar, South Sea and German women Elaine Crombie and Heather Mitchell AM. Singer, songwriter, actor, director, author and stand-up comedian Elaine Crombie has been active for over 20 years and has appeared in multiple television productions including Black Comedy, Redfern Now, Top of the Lake and Wentworth. He has appeared in feature films such as and Black. Talk, Jackie Jackie, Top End Wedding.
Heather Mitchell AM is one of Australia’s most acclaimed actors, appearing regularly in theatre, film and television. With a career spanning four decades, she has appeared in hundreds of productions and has countless film and television credits. She has worked with some of the world’s greatest actors, directors, and screenwriters, and has won awards both domestically and in the United States. Heather recently starred in the TV series Fake and played Ruth Bader Ginsburg in RBG: Of Many, One.
2024 Screen Music Awards
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Forum Melbourne, Naam
Hosted by Susie Youssef, guest presenters are Elaine Crombie and Heather Mitchell AM.
Music director Erki Wertheim
