AACTA’s new golden girl

LA-based Australian actress and screenwriter Felicity Price is so hot right now.

The former All Saints, Home and Away and Farscape actress is one of the hottest tips to win a gong at the second annual Academy of Australian Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTAs) to be held at The Star, Pyrmont on Wednesday, January 30.

“As an actor and writer you get a lot of knock-backs – so when you do get positive recognition in this way, it’s very gratifying,” she says. “It’s a real honour and just so exciting!”

In fact, Felicity is up for two awards at this year’s AACTAs – she’s in the running for the Best Lead Actress Award for the feature film Wish You Were Here (against Toni Collette, Deborah Mailman and Sarah Snook) and she’s been nominated jointly with her husband Kieran Darcy-Smith for Best Original Screenplay for the same film.

“I’m very lucky to be able to work in two different fields in the film industry,” she says. “To be nominated in both of them is a real validation.”

Formerly known as the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, the AACTAs have burst onto the global awards circuit as one of the glittering international film prizes, attracting a high level of industry interest. Last year, the AACTA International Awards – presented in LA – attracted the likes of Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe.

The Sydney-based AACTA ceremony later this month has already signed Geoffrey Rush, Shane Jacobsen, Jessica Mauboy, Deborah Mailman and the aforementioned Ms Price on the dotted line, with a special international guest to be announced shortly.

“I think the name change a couple of years ago was a really positive thing because it gave the ceremony a distinct, recognisable name and puts it in line with awards like the BAFTAs [the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards],” says Felicity.

As for her chances of winning an AACTA this year, Felicity is circumspect.

“That old cliché, it’s an honour just to be nominated, really is true,” she says. “Win or not, it will be great to be there.”

Not that she’s above maximising the potential. During our photo shoot, Felicity was careful not to touch the AACTA Award she posed with.

“In actor’s folklore it’s bad luck to touch an award before the ceremony,” she explains. “So there’s no way I’m touching that thing until or unless I win one!”