Kiwi Actress Scoops Major Australian Award

Press Release

For Immediate Release Friday 8 December 2006

Kiwi Actress Scoops Major Australian Award

Kiwi actress Emily Barclay has added another award to her name after winning Best Lead Actress at the L'Oreal Paris 2006 Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards in Melbourne last night for her performance in Australian film SUBURBAN MAYHEM.

In SUBURBAN MAYHEM, Barclay plays Katrina Skinner, a nineteen year-old, out-of-control single mum, who plans to murder her father when he threatens to contact social services and take away her child. Barclay's performance was described as "sensationally out-there...alluring and repellent", by Empire Magazine's Michael Adams, and Urban Cinefile critics said "Emily Barclay's Katrina is a wonderful invention. Barclay is sensational."

Competition for Barclay in the Best Lead Actress category included Teresa Palmer for 2:37, Abbie Cornish for CANDY, and Laura Linney for JINDABYNE. The award was presented to her by actor Heath Ledger.

The SUBURBAN MAYHEM cast also received two more AFIs - Anthony Hayes (LOOK BOTH WAYS) won Best Supporting Actor, and Mick Harvey (composer for CHOPPER) won Best Original Music Score.

The AFI Awards are the Australian film and television industry's longest running and most prestigious awards ceremony. Recognised internationally, the AFI Awards are the premier event of Australian film culture, acknowledging excellence in a broad range of categories that cover Feature Film, Television, Documentary, Short Fiction and Short Animation.

Barclay's accolades include Best Actress at the 2005 NZ Screen Awards and Most Promising Newcomer at the 2005 British Independent Film Awards, both for her role in kiwi film IN MY FATHERS DEN.

Hoyts Distribution NZ Ltd, on behalf of Icon Film Distribution, will release SUBURBAN MAYHEM in NZ on 5 April 2007.

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