Overview
It might highlight the best in TV as well as film, but there's nothing small about the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Awards, or the festival that's sprung up around it. In 2024, in tandem with its move to the Gold Coast, the accolades unveiled a multi-day program of talks, events and screenings around the ceremony, all celebrating Aussie movies and shows, plus the talent behind them. In 2025, AACTA Festival is returning — for a longer run and with a bigger program.
2024's four-day, 70-plus-event lineup has been eclipsed by 2025's five-day bill with more than 100 events. HOTA, Home of the Arts is AACTA Festival's base again. The dates for your diary: Wednesday, February 5–Sunday, February 9 for the fest, and Friday, February 7 for the main awards ceremony.
The bulk of the movies and TV shows nominated for this year's AACTAs won't be announced until Saturday, December 7, which means that more AACTA Festival lineup details will arrive afterwards; however, the program revealed so far is already impressive. One big highlight: getting the Working Dog team, aka Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Jane Kennedy, Michael Hirsh and Rob Sitch, together for an in-conversation session that's bound to touch upon everything from The Castle, Frontline, Thank God You're Here and Utopia to The Dish, The Hollowmen and Have You Been Paying Attention?. The Dish will also be on the screening program, and the Working Dog team will receive the prestigious AACTA Longford Lyell Award.
Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser, who won an Oscar for Dune and is highly tipped for another one for Dune: Part Two, is another big-name inclusion, chatting about his Hollywood work. Also in the same category: John Seale, who took home an Academy Award for The English Patient, and was nominated for Witness, Rain Man, Cold Mountain and Mad Max: Fury Road.
Attendees can also look forward to authors Trent Dalton and Holly Ringland returning from 2024's lineup, chatting about Boy Swallows Universe and The Lost Flowers of Alice on the small screen, respectively; a dive into the Heartbreak High soundtrack; a panel on queer storytelling with RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under season two winner Spankie Jackzon and Deadloch's Nina Oyama; and a session with First Nations filmmakers.
Australia's contribution to the horror genre, tunes from the How to Make Gravy movie performed live, Dani Im's Eurovision experience, a Taylor Swift symposium: they're part of AACTA Festival as well.
And if you're keen to watch movies, Gettin' Square followup Spit will enjoy its Queensland premiere, complete with star David Wenham (Fake) chatting about the feature's journey; Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up will make its Australian debut, at Movie World, of course; and upcoming action film Homeward with Nathan Phillips (Kid Snow) and Jake Ryan (Territory) will take viewers behind the scenes.
"AACTA Festival is a one-of-a-kind event that connects and celebrates our entire screen industry. With over 100 events led by our industry's best, it is a truly transformative experience for anyone passionate about the screen industry, offering an unparalleled opportunity to explore career pathways and connect with some of the brightest minds in film and television," said AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella about 2025's lineup.
"This year, we're especially excited to shine a spotlight on the resurgence of music in screen storytelling. With an incredible program of events featuring world-class composers, songwriters and music supervisors, we're not just celebrating the artistry of soundtracks and scores; we're also providing invaluable development opportunities for aspiring creatives to learn, network and advance their careers. AACTA Festival is where inspiration meets opportunity, and we can't wait to see the next generation of Australian screen talent emerge."
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AACTA Festival will run from Wednesday, February 5–Sunday, February 9, 2025 at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise Gold Coast. For further details, head to the fest's website.