Working Dog, the production company behind The Castle and Utopia, will be awarded the 2025 AACTA Longford Lyell Award at next year’s AACTA Awards in February.
Led by Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Jane Kennedy, Michael Hirsh, and Rob Sitch, the company is responsible for creating, producing, casting, and directing an array of renowned broadcast television, film, and theatre titles over the past three decades, including Thank God You’re Here, Russell Coight’s All Aussie Adventures, Frontline, and The Dish.
Ed Kavalee and Sam Pang will present the award, designed to recognise the talents of Australian screen practitioners who inspire others through their work, acknowledging their valuable contribution to promoting Australian screen culture and excellence.
The team will also appear as part of the AACTA Festival program, which returns to HOTA, Home of the Arts, from February 5 – 9. In a session titled Working Dog…It’s the Vibe, they will discuss where it all began, how they have remained friends, and how they have managed to turn a passion for comedy into a thriving creative production entity. The festival will also commemorate the 25th anniversary of The Dish with a special outdoor screening.
It is part of a line-up featuring over 100 events, including premieres, exclusive screenings, industry networking opportunities, live music, and collaborative experiences.
Among the session pillars are ‘The Art of Storytelling’, featuring Trent Dalton, Holly Ringland, Benjamin Stevenson, Shankari Chandran, John Collee, and Andrew Knight; ‘Australians Behind The Mega Hits’, in which cinematographers Greig Fraser and John Seale will break down their work on seminal Hollywood blockbusters, along with a VFX deconstruction with Paul Butterworth; ‘Fear on Film’, a range of sessions on the growing popularity of Australian horror, as well as sneak peeks of Site Unseen, Beast of War, Primitive War, and the horror/comedy Zombie Plane; and The Power of Sound: How A Musical Score Shapes the Heartbeat of Film, which will include a live performance from How to Make Gravy writer/producer Meg Washington and insights from Heartbreak High music supervisor Jemma Burns and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Scott Hicks.
There will also be the AACTA Screen Careers Expo on February 8, offering r students and career changers the opportunity to learn about all aspects of the screen industry, the many incredible career pathways on offer, and the education and training available to get them there.
AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella said the academy was “especially excited to shine a spotlight on the resurgence of music in screen storytelling”.
“With an incredible program of events featuring world-class composers, songwriters, and music supervisors, we’re not just celebrating the artistry of soundtracks and scores; we’re also providing invaluable development opportunities for aspiring creatives to learn, network, and advance their careers,” he said.
“AACTA Festival is where inspiration meets opportunity, and we can’t wait to see the next generation of Australian screen talent emerge.”
It comes as AACTA announces two new award categories for the 2025 AACTA Awards – Best Original Song and Best Soundtrack – while revealing the nominees for Best Short Film and Best Documentary.
Short Film
- And The Ocean Agreed – Tanya Modini, Luisa Martiri, Stephanie Dower – Screaming Birds
- Before We Sleep – Josh Lacy, Michelle Walker, Mason Jay Lewis, Joshua Walsh – Top Tier Entertainment and Eastmount studios
- Die Bully Die – Nathan Lacey, Nick Lacey, Matthew Backer, Drew Weston – Based Film
- Favourites – Nick Russell, Nick Musgrove – Tandem Media
- Gorgo – Katie Amos, Veniamin Gialouris, Danielle Stamoulos – Australian Film, Television and Radio School
- Why We Fight – Danielle Cormack, Nicole da Silva – Four One One Productions
Documentary
- A Horse Named Winx – Janine Hosking (Dir.) – iKandy Films
- Every Little Thing – Sally Aitken (Dir.), Bettina Dalton – WildBear Entertainment and Dogwoof & HHMI Tangled Bank Studios
- Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line – Paul Clarke (Dir.), Carolina Sorensen, Mikael Borglund, Martin Fabinyi – Beyond Entertainment Pty Limited and Blink TV
Production Pty Limited - Otto by Otto – Gracie Otto (Dir.), Cody Greenwood, Nicole O’Donohue, – Rush Films & Wildflower Films
- Porcelain War – Brendan Bellomo (Dir.), Slava Leontyev (Dir.), Camilla Mazzaferro, Aniela Sidorska, Paula Du Pré Pesmen, Olivia Ahnemann – Finch No Worries and Imaginary Lane
- The Musical Mind: A Portrait In Process – Scott Hicks (Dir.), Kerry Heysen, Jett Heysen-Hicks, David Chiem – Beyond May30 Entertainment Pty Ltd
The AACTA Festival will run for five days from February 5 – 9, with the AACTA Awards Industry Gala taking place on Wednesday, February 5, followed by the AACTA Awards Ceremony on Friday
February 7.
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