Qantas new title sponsor of Australians in Film Awards in Los Angeles

Qantas will sponsor the 2016 Australians in Film awards, a not-for-profit organisation that supports Australians working in the American film industry.

The announcement:

AUSTRALIANS IN FILM & QANTAS ANNOUNCE MAJOR PARTNERSHIP

AiF GETS ONBOARD WITH QANTAS AS OFFICIAL AIRLINE PARTNER AND TITLE SPONSOR OF 2016 AiF AWARDS

HOLLYWOOD, CA – SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 – Australians in Film (AiF) and Qantas, Australia’s leading airline, today announced a major partnership which will see Qantas become the official airline partner and sponsor of the Los Angeles based non-profit organisation that supports and promotes the Australian screen industry in Hollywood.

Qantas will be the Title Sponsor of the fifth annual AiF Awards, which will be held on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at NeueHouse in Hollywood. The top award of the night, presented to an Australian who has paved the way for others in Hollywood, has been renamed the Qantas Orry-Kelly Award. Orry-Kelly was a costume designer on Casablanca and Some Like it Hot and one of Australia’s most awarded film exports, including a number of Oscar wins.

Qantas will also be the Presenting Sponsor of the prestigious Heath Ledger Scholarship and the official airline partner for AiF’s new creative workspace Charlie’s at Raleigh Studios and the MentorLA program, presented with Screen Australia.

“Qantas has a longtime reputation of supporting the Australian arts around the world,” said Kate Marks, President of Australians in Film. “It is only fitting that as Australia continues to produce some of the world’s best on and offscreen talent, that the country’s national carrier is associated with Australian film and AiF in Hollywood.”

“After Mad Max: Fury Road cleaned up at the Academy Awards this year, there are high hopes for the upcoming release of one of our AiF FOXTEL Breakthrough Awards Honorees, Garth Davis’s Lion, starring Nicole Kidman and Dev Patel, and Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge,” Marks continued. “The next generation of Australian screen talent will benefit enormously from this exciting partnership.”

 “As the national carrier, Qantas is committed to championing the best of Australia, including Australian film talent,” said Stephen Thompson, Senior Executive Vice President of Qantas Americas, New Zealand, Pacific Islands and Japan. “Australia is home to some exceptional industry trailblazers and we are thrilled to be a part of recognizing their achievements through such a reputable organization.”

“With almost 50 direct Qantas flights between Los Angeles and Australia each week, we are also proud to play a role in helping to connect some of Australia’s brightest screen talent with Hollywood and Hollywood with some of the best film studios and producers in the southern hemisphere, including Fox Studios Sydney, Village Roadshow Studios, Animal Logic,” Thompson continued.

AiF, which celebrated its 15th anniversary this year, has established a reputation for providing meaningful education and career development programs to further enhance Australia’s top screen talent in Hollywood. With the establishment of Charlie’s, and the relaunch of its industry program, AiF is providing the necessary support and education for the Australian screen industry to continue to be a major player.

Qantas carries 27 million passengers each year, and together with its codeshare and oneworld partners, the Qantas Group offers customers travel to more than 1,000 destinations around the world. Qantas’ support for the Australian film industry is on almost every international flight, offering a dedicated channel of all Australian films on the In-Flight Entertainment system.