South Australia’s screen sector took centre stage at the recent AACTA Awards, with locally supported productions taking home two-thirds of all awards in the film category and reinforcing the state’s reputation as a destination for high-end post-production and technical excellence.

Leading the charge was Bring Her Back, which secured 10 awards including Best Film and Best Direction. A global production backed by A24, Causeway Films and Sony Pictures, the feature was shot in Adelaide with Adelaide filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou at the helm. The film also dominated craft categories, winning across cinematography, editing, original score, costume design, hair and makeup, casting and sound. South Australian sound practitioners Nick Steele, Hamish Keen and Pete Smith and hair and makeup artists Rebecca Buratto and Karen Gower were all celebrated for their work on the film – a testament to the depth of South Australia’s creative and technical workforce

Bring Her Back AACTA Award Wins:

• AACTA Award for Best Casting in Film presented by Casting Networks
• AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Film
• AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Film
• AACTA Award for Best Direction in Film
• AACTA Award for Best Editing in Film presented by Spectrum Films
• AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in Film – Sally Hawkins
• AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Film
• AACTA Award for Best Film
• AACTA Award for Best Sound in Film
• AACTA Award for Best Hair and Makeup in Film

The production’s entire post-production pipeline was completed in South Australia, led by leading South Australian post-production studio KOJO and supported by the South Australian Film Corporation and its South Australia (SA) Post, Digital & Visual Effects (PDV) Offset. Post sound work was undertaken at Adelaide Studios, with the world class facilities no doubt contributing to the film’s Best Sound win.

The achievement builds on the global momentum generated by the Philippou brothers’ breakout feature Talk to Me, with the twin directors choosing to return to South Australia for their sophomore film, demonstrating the state’s capacity to support and deliver internationally-recognised filmmaking through a combination of creative talent, production infrastructure and competitive incentives.

Animated comedy Lesbian Space Princess also delivered standout results, winning Best Indie Film and Best Original Song. Starring rising star Shabana Azeez and led by an all-South Australian creative team of co-writer/directors Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese and producer Tom Phillips, the film was developed through the SAFC’s Film Lab: New Voices initiative. Like Bring Her Back, all post-production work was completed in the state, reflecting the breadth of projects that benefit from the region’s collaborative post ecosystem – from large-scale genre features to independent productions from first-time filmmakers.

Lesbian Space Princess AACTA Award Wins:

• AACTA Award for Best Indie Film
• AACTA Award for Best Original Song

Multi-hyphenate Leela Varghese was not only co-writer/director of Lesbian Space Princess but also one of the composers for the award-winning song ‘Here I Go’ along with fellow South Australian Michael Darren. She also claimed the award for Best Short Film with I’m The Most Racist Person I Know alongside producer Suriyna Sivashanker.

Together, these AACTA Award wins highlight how South Australia’s highly connected network of post-production studios, experienced crews and streamlined incentives enables filmmakers to deliver technically ambitious work to international standards, and ultimately, how these services position Adelaide as a competitive and production-ready destination for international partners seeking high-quality outcomes on screen.

The SAFC’s 10% SA PDV Rebate – which can be combined with the Australian Government’s PDV Offset – remains a key driver in attracting complex post pipelines, supporting local jobs and ensuring productions can access world-class services within a single, efficient production environment.

The SA PDV Rebate is just one of a range of innovative funding incentives offered by the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC). To find out more, visit https://www.safilm.com.au/incentives/