Nitram, the controversial film based on Martin Bryant’s life in the lead up to the Port Arthur massacre, has been nominated for seven AACTA Awards.
Along with being nominated for this year’s AACTA Award for Best Film, the Stan Original film has been recognised with nominations for Best Direction for director Justin Kurzel, Best Lead Actor for Caleb Landry Jones, Best Lead Actress for Judy Davis, Best Supporting Actor for Anthony LaPaglia, Best Supporting Actress for Essie Davis and Best Original Screenplay for writer Shaun Grant.
The AACTA nominations are far from the first awards recognition Nitram has received, as it was also the first Australian film in over a decade to compete for the prestigious Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in July.
On top of that, American actor Caleb Landry Jones, who previously appeared in critically acclaimed films like Get Out and The Florida Project, was awarded the Best Actor gong.
Landry Jones has received almost universal praise for his central performance, with the Sydney Morning Herald describing it as “riveting, suspended between pain and rage, with little self-awareness.”
Meanwhile, the movie itself garnered a five-star review in The Guardian, which praised the “intensely disquieting and extraordinary Port Arthur Massacre film.”
The film has also received its fair share of criticism, as many Australians have argued that its existence is insensitive to survivors of the tragedy.
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Preempting the backlash, Nitram was filmed in Victoria due to fears that the subject matter was still too raw for it to be made in Tasmania.
On top of that, the film never mentions Bryant by name or depicts the shooting spree itself.
While it is currently showing in cinemas across the country, there are very limited screenings in Tasmania. Nitram will premiere on Stan on Wednesday, November 24th.
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Check out the trailer for Nitram:
