Inside Film (IF) Awards nominations announced

The Berlin Film Festival success, The Black Balloon, emerged from the Inside Film (IF) Awards nominations announcement in Sydney as the film to beat. It is already the most successful film of the year at the Australian home box-office and received a total of 10 nominations, including the 'Big Five' – best film, actor, actress, director and script.

Unfinished Sky, which opened the AICE Australian Film Festival 2008 in Jerusalem, received eight nominations, but, surprisingly, not best film. In addition to The Black Balloon, that particular category was filled by Men's Group – a film that is slowly being released around the country following successes at the various Australian film festivals – and the Pakistan/Australia co-production, Son of a Lion.

The Awards night will take place on 13 November on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

The IF Awards are frequently promoted as 'the people's choice' (with voting through the internet) and it is not unusual to see the 'critical darlings' overlooked at the IF site but which then do well as the AFI Awards. Films such as The Square (one IF nomination), documentary Not Quite Hollywood and even Unfinished Sky would expect to gain more nominations and likely awards through the AFI.