At the annual SPA Awards, held by Screen Producers Australia, the best film winners were announced. Noora Niasari's indie movie 'Shayda' and Kitty Green's drama 'The Royal Hotel' took home the top honors. The event, hosted by actor and comedian Matt Okine, occurred at Queensland's Gold Coast during the Screen Forever conference.
Werner Film, recently acquired by the BBC, was a big winner, securing three awards, including the prestigious Media Super Production Business of the year prize. SPA CEO Matthew Deaner praised the winners for showcasing the creativity, innovation, and dedication that define the industry.
Amy Parry was awarded the Ones to Watch Screen Internship grant, supported by Screen Australia, while 'Marungka Tjalatjunu' received the annual SDIN Award. Notable winners in various categories included '100% Wolf: Book of Hath' and 'Beep and Mort' for Animated Production of the Year, 'Crazy Fun Park' for Children's Series Production of the Year, and 'Deadloch' and 'In Limbo' for Comedy Program or Series Production of the Year.
Other winners included 'Ningaloo Nyinggulu' for Documentary Program or Series Production of the Year, 'The Newsreader S2' for Drama Series Production of the Year, and 'Hard Quiz S9' for Entertainment Production of the Year. 'Harley & Katya' and 'The Royal Hotel' tied for Feature Film Production of the Year, while 'Touch the Sky' won Online Series Production of the Year.
Reality Series Production of the Year went to 'The Great Australian Bake Off S7,' 'Jia' won Short Film Production of the Year, and 'The Clearing' was awarded Telemovie or Miniseries Production of the Year. Business awards were also presented, with Wooden Horse winning Breakthrough Business of the Year, Werner Film Productions taking Media Super Production Business of the Year, and Princess Bento Studio receiving Services & Facilities Business of the Year.
Finally, Fiona Eagger and Deborah Cox of Every Cloud Productions were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The SPA Awards celebrated the outstanding contributions of producers and production businesses in sharing unique stories and culture with global audiences.
