F.Y.I.

Australians in Film announce 2015 Heath Ledger Scholarship finalists

Australians in Film (AiF) has announced the the finalists of the prestigious 2015 AiF Heath Ledger Scholarship.
The announcement:

Australians in Film (AiF) is pleased to announce the finalists of the prestigious 2015 AiF HEATH LEDGER SCHOLARSHIP, which fosters the education and career development of emerging Australian actors within the United States. The recipients of the seventh annual scholarship, including a main prize winner and two runners up, will be announced on Monday, June 1st at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in Los Angeles, with the winner in attendance.

The 2015 finalists are: Mojean Aria (Hybrids), David Berry (A Place to Call Home), Shareena Clanton (Wentworth), Emilie Cocquerel (An Accidental Soldier), Ashleigh Cummings (Puberty Blues, Gallipoli, Galore), Taylor Ferguson (The Turning, Strangerland), James Fraser (Devil’s Playground, Deadline Gallipoli, The Water Diviner), Reef Ireland (Puberty Blues, Wentworth), Joel Jackson (Deadline Gallipoli, Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door), Travis Jeffrey (Unbroken, Gallipoli), Matt Levett (A Place to Call Home, Devil’s Playground), Brandon McClelland (Anzac Girls), Arianwen Parkes-Lockwood (A Place to Call Home), Jordan Patrick Smith (Neighbours, Unbroken, Banished), Adele Perovic (The Code), TJ Power (Underbelly, The Sapphires, The Little Death), Harry Richardson (Looking for Grace), Millie Samuels (The Gods of Wheat Street, Around the Block), Lily Sullivan (Mental, Puberty Blues, Galore) and Geraldine Viswanathan (Dysfunktion). Reef Ireland, Ashleigh Cummings, Millie Samuels, James Fraser and TJ Power have all been Heath Ledger Scholarship finalists in previous years, which is testament to their talent and increasing profiles.

Since its inception in 2008, the HLS Finalists’ List has emerged as an important international and local industry reference tool for highlighting Australian talent to watch. The scholarship was established in honour of the late Academy Award® winner, Heath Ledger, and aims to provide a bridge for actors who have achieved a level of success in Australia, to establish themselves as working actors in the United States. It is an exciting and ultimately life-changing opportunity for the finalists, often boosting their profile with agents and managers in America and introducing them to a network of professionals who can support them throughout their career.

The primary recipient will receive two return flights to Los Angeles on Virgin Australia; including attendance at the announcement ceremony and a second flight when they are ready to break the market in LA, a two year scholarship at Stella Adler Academy of Acting and Theatre in Los Angeles, a 7-day California trip from Visit California, $5,000 worth of Visa and Immigration services from Raynor & Associates, a complimentary lifetime membership to StarNow and $10,000 cash, affording the winner the opportunity to establish themselves in the heart of the entertainment industry.

It also includes mentorship from professionals in the industry; for example Talent Manager Rob Marsala from Wishlab and Agent Steve Alexander at ICM Partners and personal mentoring from Heath Ledger’s father, Kim Ledger, who is patron of the scholarship. It also gives the recipient access to the wider AiF network including Stella Adler Executive Director John Jack Rodgers who provides a regular mentoring program with Stella alumni including Gary Ross, Mark Ruffalo and Benicio Del Toro.

Two runners up will receive a round-trip ticket to Los Angeles courtesy of Virgin Australia where they can profile themselves in the US market and network to gain opportunities to further their careers internationally, and new for 2015, a scholarship to attend Masterclasses at Screenwise Film & TV School for actors in Sydney.

Previous recipients of the scholarship include Cody Fern (The Last Time I Saw Richard), James Mackay (The Dressmaker, The Tomorrow People), Anna McGahan (Anzac Girls, House Husbands), Ryan Corr (The Water Diviner, Wolf Creek 2), Bella Heathcote (Dark Shadows, The Rewrite) and Oliver Ackland (Party Tricks, Blinder).

The finalists were selected by a committee of managers and agents from top firms in Los Angeles. The winner will then be selected by celebrity judges who span the entertainment and film industry, including Australian actors Rose Byrne (Damages, The Internship, Bad Neighbours) and Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline, Exodus: Gods and Kings, The Dark Knight Rises), American actor, writer and producer Vince Vaughn (True Detective, The Internship, The Break-Up), executive producer Adam Schroeder (Zoolander, Sleepy Hollow, Clueless), directors Kieran Darcy-Smith (Wish You Were Here, By Way of Helena) and Gregor Jordan (Ned Kelly, Two Hands), Australian-based casting director, Ann Fay (Anzac Girls, Packed to the Rafters) and Emmy award winning casting director, Laray Mayfield (Fight Club, Gone Girl, House of Cards, The Social Network).

Heath Ledger’s father, Kim Ledger, says: “This is the seventh remarkable year of the Australians in Film Heath Ledger Scholarship and as with every year, the entries have been extraordinary. I want to personally wish everyone who has been selected as a finalist the very best of luck in the lead up to the awards.”

AiF President, Simonne Overend, said, “Not only do we have a fantastic line up of finalists, we’re so thrilled to have Ben Mendelsohn and Rose Byrne on board as judges this year. Rose and Heath were good friends; they starred together in Two Hands, which was written and directed by fellow judge, Gregor Jordan. Our judges are pillars within the film and TV industry – writers, directors, producers, casting directors, actors – industry professions who have demonstrated success in their field, and we trust they will have a keen eye to find the next emerging Australian actor.

Overend continues: “As the Scholarship is now in its seventh year, it has become something that the industry pays attention to, both in Australia and the USA. Each year, we garner more applications than the previous year and the judges have the difficult task of selecting an Australian actor with exceptional skill and passion for their craft, who wants to use the full benefits of the Scholarship to further their career and training in the United States.  We look forward to hearing who the judges select as the winning recipient.”

Benefactors of the Heath Ledger Scholarship include Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Hugh Jackman, Deborra-Lee Furness, Alex O’Loughlin, Liam Hemsworth, Michelle Williams, Phil Noyce, Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin.

Australians in Film 2015 Heath Ledger Scholarship is sponsored by: Virgin Australia, Visit California, Screenwise Film & TV School for Actors, Ausfilm, Nixco and AiF’s agency of record, BIW.

Source: Nixco media release

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