AACTA
President Geoffrey Rush was quoted saying he'd ''hate to see, for financial
reasons, the whole thing (AACTA Awards) come to an unnecessary full stop''.
Picture: Gary Ramage Source: PerthNow
Neala Johnson, News Limited Network, reports
The show will go on - even though Australia's answer to the Oscars has lost a major sponsor.
Australian Film Institute CEO Damian Trewhella remains upbeat after it was revealed the AACTA Awards had lost its naming-rights sponsor Samsung.
Industry magazine Encore reported AACTA President Geoffrey Rush as saying he'd ''hate to see, for financial reasons, the whole thing come to an unnecessary full stop''.
Trewhella said the situation is ''not that bad at all''.
''I wouldn't like to be seen to be contradicting Geoffrey too much, but ultimately I don’t think the risk on the scale is a fatal risk,'' Trewhella said.
''GR has been the most phenomenal leader as Pres, and if his remarks help mobilise the corporate sector to get behind us, that's great. It's a call to action.''
Trewhella expects the 2013 AACTA Awards to have great cut-through with the general public and media after a string of populist movie releases this year, including The Sapphires and Kath & Kimderella, and high-rating TV shows.
''There's always swings and roundabouts every year, and this year has been a great swing with The Sapphires, Mental, Howzat, The Voice - it's quite an incredible time. It's probably going to be the best Awards we’ve seen for a long time.''
Samsung had been a major sponsor of the former AFI Awards since 2006, taking over naming-rights in 2009.
It was the title sponsor of this year's inaugural AACTAs (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts), which were revamped during 2011 to align Australia's awards season with those in Hollywood and Britain.
Trewhella quashed fears the AACTAs might collapse just a year after the relaunch.
''The show is going on and it will be going on at full speed. It could be going on at extra speed if we have that particular sponsorship category filled,'' he said.
''Fortunately, it isn't the sky falling. Sponsorship is always a difficult matter but it only makes up one portion of the overall support base. It's not ideal. But it's a great opportunity for another naming-rights partner now.
''Geoffrey, Rusty (Russell Crowe), Cate Blanchett - everybody's behind this. It's a really great event that went very well last year. We've got a few months left to go - if there's somebody out there looking to align their brand with the pinnacle of the Australian film and television industry, here’s the opportunity.''
The AACTAs are hoping to pin down potential replacements within the next six to seven weeks as they work towards announcing nominations for the 2013 Awards in late November.
The AACTA Awards will be handed out in late January in Sydney.
The big winners at the 2012 Awards were Red Dog, Snowtown, The Slap and East West 101.
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