Geoffrey Rush warns AACTAs may disappear after losing naming sponsor

Australia’s peak film and television awards may be the second screen industry awards to disappear in 2012 due to lack of sponsorship, actor Geoffrey Rush has warned.

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, in its second year after relaunching from the Australian Film Institute Awards, is seeking a naming rights sponsor, following Samsung discontinuing its five year relationship.

Geoffrey Rush, president of the AACTAs told, Mumbrella’s sister title Encore: “We’re hoping to find someone who can identify their company as a sponsor of the second year of the Australian Academy because we’d hate to see, for financial reasons the whole thing come to an unnecessary fullstop… or dash.”

In April, Inside Film announced the IF Awards would not run in 2012 due to sponsorship competition and a ‘lack of funding options’.