Fed: Geoffrey Rush awarded AFI's highest honour

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2009
Fed: Geoffrey Rush awarded AFI's highest honour

By Alyssa Braithwaite, National Entertainment Writer

MELBOURNE, Aug 1 AAP - Actor Geoffrey Rush has been awarded the AFI's highest honour
- recognising his contribution to Australian screen culture through films such as Shine,
Lantana and Candy.

The 58-year-old is the 2009 recipient of the Raymond Longford Award, named after the
Australian film pioneer.

Rush is only the sixth actor to receive the award from the Australian Film Institute
(AFI) since it began 41 years ago and he said he was honoured to be among the exclusive
group.

"I'm aware of some of the names that have been awarded before - real heavy hitters
(like) Fred Schepisi, Peter Weir and Jan Chapman," Rush told AAP.

"It's been a blend of writers, directors, cinematographers, exhibitors, producers -
people that I regard as coming from ... the serious side rather than the more widely publicised
glitzy side of the film industry.

"It's nice to be counted among these men and women that have made probably a more serious
mark on the industry than I think I might have made."

The award was bestowed upon Rush at a black tie Outstanding Achievement Dinner in front
of 400 industry representatives and screen stars at the Melbourne Convention Centre on
Saturday night.

Rush said when the award was first presented in 1968 he was head of the drama club
in high school but he never dreamed of starring in movies because "the idea of a film
actually being shot in Australia seemed absolutely bizarre".

"You never in a million years thought 'oh one of the things I could do when I leave
school is go into (film)'," he said.

"Looking back on that 40 year period you think my god, a lot happened.

"In getting this award one hopes it's a recognition of partly what I have done but
partly also what we have done."

Rush has performed in more than 40 films, including international hits such as Pirates
of the Caribbean, Elizabeth and Shakespeare in Love. But he names Shine, Children of the
Revolution, Lantana and Candy as some of his favourites.

He is the only Australian to have received a best actor Oscar for an Australian film.

This was for Shine. In June he joined an elite group of actors to win the "Triple Crown"

of acting - a Tony Award, an Academy Award and an Emmy.

One of Rush's upcoming films, $9.99, is among the 26 feature films in contention for
the 2009 AFI Awards.

The record number of entries includes Australia, Samson & Delilah, Balibo, Mao's Last
Dancer and Beautiful Kate.

Rush said it had been an exciting year for the local industry.

"For the kind of battering that Australian films had or the indifference that its had
from its own audiences over the last couple of years, I think it's part of the Australian
artistic character to not get defeated. But they dig their heals in and start to come
up with what they really want to say.

"And then suddenly audiences really want to see it."

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