‘Birdman’ Leads Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards Nominations

Birdman looks set to win big at the international leg of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards after scooping seven nominations.

The drama is up for the coveted International Best Film prize plus best actor for Michael Keaton, best director for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Best Screenplay and supporting role nods for Edward Norton, Naomi Watts and Emma Stone.

Boyhood and The Imitation Game closely follow with five nominations. They will also compete for the Best Film prize alongside The Grand Budapest Hotel and Whiplash.

Keaton will have to fight off competition from Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), and Steve Carell (Foxcatcher) for the top male acting trophy.

The only Australian film to receive a mention is horror movie The Babadook, whose star Essie Davis lands a Best Lead Actress prize. She will go head-to-head with Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Julianne Moore (Still Alice), Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), and Reese Witherspoon (Wild).

Russell Crowe’s directorial debut The Water Diviner leads the domestic AACTA nominations with eight nods.

The international ceremony will be co-hosted by Nicole Kidman and Geoffrey Rush in Los Angeles on January. The domestic prizes will be handed out in Sydney, Australia on January 29.

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