21st ATOM Awards 2003: this year the red carpet was rolled out thick and splendid for the twenty-first year of the ATOM film, multimedia and television awards. There was no grander way to celebrate this milestone than at the p

21st ATOM Awards 2003: this year the red carpet was rolled out thick and splendid for the twenty-first year of the ATOM film, multimedia and television awards. There was no grander way to celebrate this milestone than at the prestigious Australian Centre for the Moving Image. The 2003 ATOM awards honoured the very best of film, television and multimedia in a gala ceremony and black-tie cocktail party on Saturday 7 June

Amber Lorych

LURED BY THE LONG WEEKEND and the opportunity to visit Melbourne’s newest artery for film, finalists travelled from all states and the ACT to enjoy the party and, perhaps, the bonus of an award. With a record 716 entries from all states and territories, judges worked over a period of several weeks with the difficult task of selecting only four finalists in each of the thirty two categories.

The judging was conducted in two stages. The initial pre-selection judging narrowed the entries for each award down to just ten productions, with the judging of the finalists completing the process. Each category was judged by the people from the intended audience, and included film-makers, media teachers, students of all ages and screen industry professionals.

Selection criteria included level of skill, individual style, audience engagement, entertainment and educational value and creative and technical excellence; further criteria for multimedia were logical navigational set-up and level of interactivity.

The ceremony was seamless, punctuated only by the quirky tunes of the Scared Weird Little Guys, principally due to the smooth work of the Technical Production Manager, Michael Borthwick. Amelia Mosbauer created the series of strikingly colourful slide linkages which introduced sponsors and each award category; these were created on Adobe Photoshop and Apple’s new Keynote software.

ATOM president, Julie Marlow, opened the ceremony, acknowledging the Awards as ATOM’s highest profile event that recognized and rewarded excellence in works that educate, entertain and enlighten. Kim Kane, the Awards Executive Officer, congratulated all of the finalists by applauding ‘the concentration of creative talent which saw the Awards as a forum in which to encourage the development of the next generation of Baz Luhrmanns, Peter Weirs and P.J. Hogans’.

Major sponsors included the funding bodies The Australian Film Commission and Film Victoria. The young St Kilda based post-production house, Studio XYZ, compiled the finalist and winners reel, as well as designing the dynamic opening sting. Director, Tim Kentley expressed enthusiasm at being involved with the awards, saying that ‘the ATOM Awards bring together education and industry. The role of education in shaping screen based industries ensures that we are developing the industry professionals of the future’. Other major sponsors included Apple Computers Australia, Macromedia and sound post-production facility, Music and Effects.

The 2003 ATOM Awards also gratefully acknowledge the generous supporting sponsorship from the following organizations: SBS independent, JVC Professional, Screen Rights, Monash University, Film Australia, Open Channel, Metro Magazine, Methodist Ladies College, Carey Baptist Grammar, Footscray City College, Myinternet, ScreenSound Australia, MosBauer, Encore, Melbourne GMs’ College, The Australian Film Institute, Southern Cross.

Every twenty-first birthday calls for a special celebration. To add music and merriment to the twenty-first year of the ATOM awards an additional music video section was introduced. Entrants in Secondary, Tertiary and General categories had the opportunity to submit their work in this new category. Although a new category, entries were of such a high standard that five finalists were selected in the Best General Music Video category (presented by Helen Tully, Melbourne Manager of ScreenSound Australia), including ‘One in a Million’ by Bronson Productions, ‘Pay the Price’ by Jeffrey Norris, ‘Until You Break’ by Elliot Spencer and two clips by Nash Edgerton, one of which won the category. An amazing artistic effort by Secondary School student Elliot Spencer, from Warwick in country Queensland, not only saw him nominated in the best General Music Video Category but won him the award for Best Secondary Music Video (presented by Maxwell Cuddon, Head of Senior School at Carey Baptist Grammar School). Set against the backdrop of a rodeo in a small town, ‘Until You Break’ had the feel of 35mm with evocative cinematography and use of character and colour. ‘Amnesia’, by RMIT’s Animation and Interactive Multimedia students, Thomas Pullar and Jonathan Nix, took out the Best Tertiary Music Video Award (presented by Mike Ted, State Manager Vic, Tas, SA, WA of JVC Professional).

Lara Primary School has been a finalist in the Junior Categories for many years. Their consistently high quality work and inventive, unrestrained narratives were rewarded this year when the school won both the Junior Film/Video Production (presented by Tony Maguire of Apple Computers Australia) and Junior Multimedia Production (presented by MLC’s Juliet Francis, on behalf of sponsor Amelia Mosbauer) with their production The 20 Cent Quest, a colourful animation which follows two young boys on their adventure down the drain in search of missing currency.

Also, there were two first time nominees in the Junior categories–Tasmania’s Ogilvie High School and Kinchela Public School in New South Wales. Representatives from both schools made the trek to Melbourne for the ceremony, and the Kinchela nomination made local news in their country town.

With his innovative animation, originally created as part of his thesis at La Trobe University, Qing Huang won both the Best Tertiary Animation (presented by Judy Crowe, Principal of Melbourne Girls’ College) and best General Animation (presented by Ariel Dyson, Studio Operations Coordinator at Music and Effects). The Way was created as a multimedia representation of the Tao, featuring undulating boughs of cherry blossoms and bamboo realized in Chinese style ink illustration. This film was also highlighted at the recent Melbourne International Animation Festival.

Guests at the sold out ceremony were encouraged to make their way from Cinema Two to join the excited winners, sponsors and finalists in the function space at ACMI for the much anticipated ATOM Awards party. The screening of the finalists work on plasma screens and projected onto mirror balls bathed the party in a festive atmosphere, which was heightened by the bow ties, tuxedos and cocktail dresses of the attendees.

The twenty-second ATOM Awards promises exciting new developments and many more entries. To register your interest in receiving the 2004 ATOM Awards call for entries, please email your postal address to atomawards@netspace.net.au or phone 03 9690 6893.

WINNERS LIST

THE 21ST ANNUAL ATOM AWARDS ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE FOLLOWING WINNERS:

BEST JUNIOR (K-8) FILM/VIDEO PRODUCTION

The 20 Cent Quest–Lara Primary School

BEST STUDENT MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION–JUNIOR (K-8)

The 20 Cent Quest Lara Primary School

BEST STUDENT MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION–SENIOR (9-12)

The Bar-Facts ct Evidence of Drugs–Tetsu Ohnishi

BEST SECONDARY ANIMATION

Cows With Guns–Michael Richards (Glenunga International High School) and Cameron Edser (Concordia College)

SPECIAL AWARD RECIPIENT–BEST STUDENT BODY OF WORK:

Untitled 2–Rowan McNaught (Caulfield Grammar)

BEST SECONDARY DOCUMENTARY

Marine Parks: Managing our Oceans–Jasper Montana (Balwyn High School)

BEST SECONDARY FICTION

Cliche–Spike McKenzie (Princes Hill Secondary School)

BEST SECONDARY MUSIC VIDEO

‘Until You Break’–Elliot Spencer (School of Total Education, Warwick)

BEST TERTIARY SHORT FICTION

Ain’t Got No Jazz–The Charles and Joel Show (Renegade Films)

BEST TERTIARY DOCUMENTARY

Hanging Out With Henry–Janette Howe (Victorian College of the Arts)

BEST TERTIARY EXPERIMENTAL

Fugue–James Brown (UTS)

BEST TERTIARY MULTIMEDIA

The Stalking Tongue Book II: Slamming The Sonnet–Jayne Fenton Keane & David Keane

BEST TERTIARY ANIMATION

The Way–Qing Huang (La Trobe University)

SPECIAL AWARD RECIPIENT–BEST FIRST ANIMATED FILM:

Hello–Jonathan Nix

BEST TERTIARY FILM SCHOOL PRODUCTION

L’envie (The Desire)–Leonard Yip (Victorian College of the Arts)

BEST TERTIARY MUSIC VIDEO

‘Amnesia’–Thomas Pullar/ Jonathan Nix

BEST GENERAL SHORT FICTION

Martha’s New Coat–Rachel Ward (New Town Films & Porchlight Films)

BEST GENERAL ANIMATION

The Way–Qing Huang (La Trobe University)

SPECIAL AWARD RECIPIENT–ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PIECE:

Australia–The Encounter–Allison Pickford (Meadows Primary School)

BEST GENERAL EXPERIMENTAL

Ecstasis–Jonathan Duckworth, Mark Guglielmetti, Lawrence Harvey, Mark Baily (Metraform)

BEST GENERAL DOCUMENTARY SHORT FORM (30 MIN OR LESS)

Painting with Light in a Dark World–Sascha Ettinger-Epstein (PDM Doco)

BEST GENERAL DOCUMENTARY

Xanana–A Man A Nation–Tracey Curro & Michael Rivette (Talking Heads Productions)

BEST GENERAL DOCUMENTARY

SOCIAL & POLITICAL ISSUES

A Wedding in Ramallah–Sherine Salama (Habibi Films)

SPECIAL AWARD RECIPIENT–BEST DOCUMENTARY ART & CULTURE:

Two Thirds Sky–Artists in Desert Country–Sean O’Brien, Director Sophie Jackson, Producer

BEST GENERAL DOCUMENTARY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT

A Million Acres A Year–Frank Rijavec, Keith Bradby & Noelene Harrison (Snakewood Films)

BEST GENERAL DOCUMENTARY HUMAN STORY

The Op Shop Ladies of Emerald Hill–Cath South & Stewart Carter (People Pictures)

BEST CHILDREN’S TELEVISION SERIES

Pirate Islands–Jonathan M. Shift (Jonathan M. Shift Productions)

SPECIAL AWARD RECIPIENT–BEST CHILDREN’S MINI SERIES:

Bootleg–Ewan Burnett (Burberry Productions P/L)

BEST GENERAL MULTIMEDIA

An@tomedia: Thorax CDRom–N. Eizenberg, C. Briggs, P. Barker, I. Grkovic

BEST GENERAL MUSIC VIDEO

Eskimo Joe–‘Liar’–Nash Edgerton (Cherub Pictures)

BEST PRIMARY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE

The Hormone Factory–Acumentum Pty Ltd

BEST SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE

Voices and Visions from China–Lucinda McKnight & Neil McClure (Curriculum Corporation/McClure Multimedia)

BEST TERTIARY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE

The Show–Gabrielle Jones

BEST VOCATIONAL/TRAINING/ INSTRUCTIONAL PRODUCTION

Eight Days a Week–James Roberts (ABC)

BEST INDIGENOUS RESOURCE

The Foundation–Troy Russell, Melissa Abraham & Penny McDonald (Mongrel Dogs Productions & Chili Films)

BEST EDUCATIONAL WEB SITE

goamazing.com–Department of Education & Training/Reactive Media

BEST WEB SITE BY A TEACHER

VCE Biology Web Site–Greg Barker (Our Lady of Mercy College)

Fiona Gunn is Event Manager at John Paxinos & Associates. Amber Lorych is ATOM’s Education Officer.

Korean Retailer to Set Up Chain Store In China

Some kind of a man: revisiting Citizen Kane