Today at ACMI I ran into Tony Ayres and Michael McMahon (Tony’s partner), who were attending the Screen Producers conference (SPAA). Naturally, given my thesis, I chatted to Tony, told him I was using Walking on Water, got his card and thought ‘what a scoop’. Meanwhile, Clare Stewart from ACMI wished Michael good luck for tonight.
I’m a twit. I didn’t twig at all. I’ve just watched Michael accept his AFI award for best documentary film and I’m feeling suitably chastened.
Congratulations, Michael. Not that you’ll ever read this.
Also have to congratulate the comedian whose name I didn’t catch for the great (and funny) speech about what will happen if we trade our cultural rights for agricultural rights in the US trade agreement discussions…
Oh, and Geoffrey Rush for Best Acceptance Speech ever.
(UPDATE: But I have to note, these sponsored awards give me the shits. The “Max Factor” award for Best Actress? The “Parker Pen” award for Best Screenplay? If they weren’t serious, this’d be funny. As it is, it’s cringeville. Bad enough but *these* sponsors in particular are insulting.)
Tricky question: in the anti-free trade agreement argument, I have difficulty arguing *for* protectionism either. Except where this kind of cultural question is concerned… I think. Your opinion?
EDIT: Excuse me? Richard Fidler, Paul McDermott and Tim Ferguson? On the one stage? Next to each other? D*A*A*S*!!!!!!!!!!! But Tim, what is it with that beard???