The Gold Coast will continue to be the venue for the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) awards and festival through 2028. Originally held in Sydney, the awards moved to the Gold Coast in 2024 for an initial two-year period, which has now been extended by an additional three years.

The AACTA awards celebrate the achievements of Australia's film and television industry. The next ceremony is scheduled for February. The event has previously attracted Hollywood stars such as Margot Robbie, Cate Blanchett, and Henry Cavill.

Next year's five-day festival will feature a variety of activities, including movie premieres, workshops, meet-and-greets, industry events, and panel discussions focused on Australian screen culture. A highlight will be the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Australian film classic "Shine," which will reunite its cast and crew in front of an audience. Events will take place at the Home of the Arts (HOTA) on the Gold Coast.

Sam Buckland, the festival's director of programming, encouraged public participation. "We want to make the Gold Coast the Cannes of the southern hemisphere," he said. "Most of the events are free and it's all forms of storytelling on all devices."

In addition, renowned filmmakers Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin will be honored as AACTA ambassadors. The couple has collaborated for over three decades on various projects, including "Romeo + Juliet," "Australia," and "The Great Gatsby." They have worked with notable Hollywood actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, as well as Australian talents like Hugh Jackman, Joel Edgerton, and Isla Fisher.

Luhrmann and Martin gained recognition with their 1992 film "Strictly Ballroom" and most recently collaborated on "Elvis," which starred Austin Butler and was produced on the Gold Coast, now referred to as their "creative home."

The upcoming AACTA festival will also feature the Australian premiere of Luhrmann's documentary "EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert," showcasing never-before-seen footage of Presley performing live. Luhrmann, along with Blanchett, Russell Crowe, and Nicole Kidman, will serve as AACTA ambassadors. Luhrmann expressed gratitude for the recognition, stating, "[The AACTAs] does so much to celebrate Australian storytellers and the stories we tell, elevating them on the world stage and lifting up new generations of talent."