Congratulations to Toni Collette for receiving an Australian Film Institute AACTA Award nomination as Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama for “Blue Murder: Killer Cop”. The 7 mini-series has received a total 10 nominations, including Best Telefeature or Mini Series, Best Lead Actor (Richard Roxburgh), Best Guest Or Supporting Actor (Matt Nable), Best Guest Or Supporting Actress (Emma Booth), Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Costume Design and Original Music Score. In the film section, “Jasper Jones” has fared equally well with 6 nominations, for Best Film, Best Supporting Actor (Hugo Weaving), Adapted Screenplay, Sound, Production Design and Costume Design. Toni would have been a deserving nominee for Best Supporting Actress as well, nevertheless it’s great to see her two Australian productions of 2017 being presented so well. The 7th AACTA Awards are being handed out on December 07, 2017.

One of Toni’s most recent films, the big-screen adaptation of Craig Silvey’s bestselling Australian novel “Jasper Jones” has been released in Australia on DVD, Blu-Ray and on demand on July 07 after its theatrical release earlier this year. Unfortunately, the film directed by Rachel Perkins has not received a wide release outside of Australia yet, but here’s hoping. For those who are able to play Australian region code DVDs and Blu-Rays, or if you’re from Australia and haven’t seen it yet, make sure to grab your copy over at Madman Entertainment. Screencaptures from the Blu-Ray have been added to the photo gallery. An in-depth review and video clips will follow later this week.

Toni Collette says her latest character is having a “classic midlife crisis”. It’s an experience that must seem a world away for the western Sydney-born actor, contentedly married with two children and never out of work, even as she longs for more roles on home soil. On the Western Australian set of the feature film Jasper Jones, Collette says she misses “the space, the light, family, friends, fresh air – all the basics”. She is pleased to be here. The actor was so keen on Jasper Jones – the story of a bookish boy who becomes embroiled in the mysterious death of a local girl, based on the award-winning novel by Craig Silvey – that she wanted to option the rights to the film herself. “Everybody did,” she says, laughing. She was beaten out by producers Vincent Sheehan and David Jowsey – but landed a performing role instead. The complete article can be read over at The Guardian, with some additional photographs being added to the photo gallery.

Madman Films has released a wonderful theatrical trailer for the upcoming “Jasper Jones”. Adapted from Craig Silvey’s bestselling Australian novel and featuring a stellar cast including Toni Collette, Hugo Weaving, Levi Miller, Angourie Rice, Dan Wyllie and Aaron McGrath, JASPER JONES is the story of Charlie Bucktin, a bookish boy of 14 living in a small town in Western Australia. In the dead of night during the scorching summer of 1969, Charlie is startled when he is woken by local mixed-race outcast Jasper Jones outside his window. Jasper leads him deep into the forest and shows him something that will change his life forever, setting them both on a dangerous journey to solve a mystery that will consume the entire community. In an isolated town where secrecy, gossip and tragedy overwhelm the landscape, Charlie faces family breakdown, finds his first love, and discovers what it means be truly courageous. “Jasper Jones” releases Australian cinemas on March 2, 2017.

The film adaptation of the hit Australian novel “Jasper Jones” has received a first-look teaser trailer. It doesn’t reveal much, but it does introduce us to the film’s main characters, Charlie (Levi Miller) and Jasper (Aaron L. McGrath). “Jasper Jones” features an outstanding Australian cast that includes Toni Collette, Hugo Weaving, Levi Miller, Angourie Rice, Dan Wyllie, Matt Nable and Aaron McGrath. A wonderful picture of Collette and Wyllie – who will always be brother and sister Heslop – has been added to the photo gallery. The film is due out in Australian cinemas on 2 March, 2017 and the official synopsis for the film is as follows: In the dead of night during the scorching summer of 1969, Charlie is startled when he is woken by local mixed-race outcast Jasper Jones outside his window. Jasper leads him deep into the forest and shows him something that will change his life forever, setting them both on a dangerous journey to solve a mystery that will consume the entire community.

The Guardian has an exciting first review on “Jasper Jones”. Craig Silvey’s 2009 coming-of-age novel has enjoyed a recent renaissance, with Kate Mulvany’s stage adaptation seeing three separate productions in as many years: at Perth’s Barking Gecko in 2014; at Sydney’s Belvoir Theatre earlier this year; now at Melbourne Theatre Company, where it runs until 1 September. But it was a feature film adaptation that premiered to an enthusiastic home field audience on Wednesday night at the opening of Western Australian film festival CinefestOz, in Busselton. Set in the fictional town of Corrigan, the film, directed by Rachel Perkins – who previously made Bran Nue Dae – was shot in the WA town of Pemberton with funds from ScreenWest, and is projected for release in early 2017. With its child’s eye view of small town racial prejudice, publicity for Silvey’s book was quick to label it the Australian To Kill a Mockingbird – but it is hat-tips to Harper Lee’s friend Truman Capote that dominate the film’s opening stretch. Moved to investigate the death of a local girl, 13-year-old protagonist Charlie Bucktin (Levi Miller) picks up In Cold Blood at the library, and minutes later is slipped a copy of Breakfast at Tiffany’s – mysterious note inside – by local Holly Golightly-in-waiting Eliza Wishart (Angourie Rice), the sister of the dead girl.

But it’s Toni Collette, impossibly vivacious as always, who registers most strongly. As Charlie’s mother – bee-hived, eye-shadowed, and straining at the bonds of a dissatisfying marriage – she switches from tenderness to frustration on a dime. One charming scene has her transforming a mini-tantrum in the kitchen into an opportunity to twist and bop to the radio. Shimmying around in a mustard dress, she almost dances away with the film.