Mike Fleming

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television, which previously honored Aussie productions, has launched five new award categories that will recognize international product in Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Actress. In other words, the Aussies are going Hollywood. The nominees were announced tonight by Jacki Weaver, the Aussie actress who was Oscar nominated for Animal Kingdom. I am not sure how these will factor into the Oscar conversation, but here are the nominees:

INAUGURAL AACTA INTERNATIONAL AWARDS NOMINEES

BEST FILM

The Artist – Thomas Langmann (The Weinstein Company)

The Descendants - Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Hugo – Graham King, Tim Headington, Martin Scorsese, Johnny Depp (Paramount Pictures)

The Ides of March – George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Brian Oliver (Columbia Pictures)

Margin Call - Robert Ogden Barnum, Michael Benaroya, Neal Dodson, Joe Jenckes, Corey Moosa, Zachary Quinto (Roadside Attractions)

Melancholia – Meta Louise Foldager, Louise Vesth (Magnolia Pictures)

Midnight In Paris – Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum, Jaume Roures (Sony Pictures Classics)

Moneyball - Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt (Columbia Pictures)

The Tree of Life – Bill Pohlad, Dede Gardner, Sarah Green (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

We Need to Talk About Kevin – Jennifer Fox, Luc Roeg, Bob Salerno (Oscilloscope Pictures)

BEST DIRECTION

The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius

Drive - Nicolas Winding Refn

Hugo - Martin Scorsese

Margin Call – J. C. Chandor

Melancholia – Lars von Trier

Midnight In Paris – Woody Allen

The Tree of Life - Terrence Malick

We Need to Talk About Kevin – Lynne Ramsay

BEST SCREENPLAY

The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius

The Descendants – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

The Ides of March – George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon

Margin Call - J.C. Chandor

Melancholia - Lars von Trier

Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen

Moneyball – Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin

We Need to Talk About Kevin – Lynne Ramsay, Rory Kinnear

BEST ACTOR

George Clooney – The Descendants

Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar

Jean Dujardin – The Artist

Michael Fassbender – Shame

Ryan Gosling – The Ides of March

Brad Pitt – Moneyball

BEST ACTRESS

Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs

Kirsten Dunst – Melancholia

Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady

Tilda Swinton – We Need to Talk About Kevin

Mia Wasikowska – Jane Eyre

Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn