23rd Annual SPA Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient – Screen Producers Australia (SPA) is proud to announce that veteran producer and industry trailblazer Antony I. Ginnane will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 23rd Annual SPA Awards, taking place at The Star Gold Coast on Thurs, 8 May 2025.
With a remarkable career spanning over five decades, Antony I. Ginnane has produced or executive-produced more than 70 feature films, mini-series and television dramas across Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada, the Philippines and Eastern Europe.
From cult titles like Patrick (1978), Turkey Shoot (1980) and Screamers (1995) to classics like High Tide (1988) and The Lighthorsemen (1988) to the award-winning Last Dance (2011), Ginnane’s body of work has left an indelible mark on both Australian and international screens.
“I discovered cinema in my teens, and it’s been a lifelong love affair. Australian cinema now has a prominent and well-deserved place on the world’s screens. We should all be proud,”
– said Antony I. Ginnane.
His prolific and diverse output includes genre favourites, acclaimed dramas and recent features such as Never Too Late (2020), starring James Cromwell, Jacki Weaver and Jack Thompson, among the top Australian theatrical releases of the year despite pandemic challenges. Other standout productions include Bad Blood (2017), The Girl at the Window (2022), and a modern reimagining of Patrick (2013), which screened at Sitges and Fantastic Fest.
Antony’s career is also defined by innovation beyond the screen. He was a driving force in independent film distribution across Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Hong Kong through the 1980s and consulted to Los Angeles-based Fries Entertainment throughout the early ’90s. In 2014, he co-founded a television production company with acclaimed writer-producer Kris Wyld, creating the ABC medical drama Pulse (2017).
As SPA Council President from 2008 to 2011, Antony was a committed advocate for Australian producers, contributing to policy, industry development and global engagement.
He has served on the Board of IFTA, is a member of the Producers Guild of America, BAFTA Los Angeles and the Caucus for Writers, Producers and Directors.
In 2015, he added author to his resume with the publication of The Unusual Suspects – 104 Films That Made World Cinema, cementing his legacy as both a thought leader and passionate cinephile.
The Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates Antony’s extraordinary contributions to screen culture, his relentless pursuit of global reach for Australian stories, and his commitment to building and shaping an industry that reflects his vision, resilience and entrepreneurial spirit.
This prestigious honour will be presented at the upcoming SPA Awards, an annual celebration of excellence in the Australian screen production sector.
The SPA Awards celebrate great Australian screen productions, honouring the skill, accomplishment and imagination of the SPA member businesses who bring these stories to life. All Award recipients will be honoured at the prestigious SPA Awards ceremony on the Gold Coast on Thursday, 8 May 2025, the final day of SCREEN FOREVER 39.
Registrations for SCREEN FOREVER 39 are now open HERE.
A Gold Coast Badge includes entry to the SPA Awards Ceremony.
Media Release – SPA
Link to SPA HERE
TV Central Screen Australia content HERE
23rd Annual SPA Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
