▁A ACT A ▁Awards ▁Cer em ony , ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁at ▁the ▁Sydney ▁Opera ▁House . ▁Following ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁Australian ▁Academy ▁of ▁Cinema ▁and ▁Television ▁Arts , ▁by ▁the ▁Australian ▁Film ▁Institute ▁( A FI ), ▁these ▁awards ▁marked ▁the ▁inaug uration ▁of ▁the ▁A ACT A ▁Awards , ▁but ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁continu um ▁to ▁the ▁A FI ▁Awards , ▁which ▁were ▁presented ▁by ▁the ▁A FI ▁since ▁ 1 9 5 8 . ▁The ▁ceremony ▁was ▁tele vised ▁on ▁the ▁N ine ▁Network . ▁ ▁The ▁nom ine es ▁for ▁the ▁non - feature ▁award ▁categories ▁were ▁announced ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁and ▁all ▁other ▁non - feature ▁film , ▁feature ▁film ▁and ▁television ▁nom ine es ▁were ▁announced ▁at ▁the ▁National ▁Institute ▁of ▁D ram atic ▁Art ▁( N ID A ) ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁November . ▁The ▁Academy ▁presented ▁awards ▁for ▁achiev ements ▁in ▁foreign ▁film , ▁and ▁announced ▁the ▁nom ine es ▁at ▁the ▁A ACT A ▁Awards ▁L un che on . ▁ ▁Background ▁On ▁ 1 8 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁Australian ▁Academy ▁of ▁Cinema ▁and ▁Television ▁Arts ▁( AA CT A ) ▁was ▁established ▁by ▁the ▁Australian ▁Film ▁Institute ▁( A FI ), ▁to ▁raise ▁the ▁profile ▁of ▁Australian ▁film ▁and ▁television ▁in ▁Australia ▁and ▁abroad , ▁and ▁to ▁change ▁the ▁way ▁it ▁re wards ▁talent ▁from ▁its ▁previous ▁j ury ▁system