▁down ▁to ▁twenty - one , ▁when ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁films , ▁Burn ing ▁Man ▁and ▁The ▁Dragon ▁Pear l , ▁could ▁no ▁longer ▁comp ete ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁change ▁in ▁their ▁release ▁dates . ▁The ▁films ▁were ▁show c ased ▁at ▁the ▁inaug ural ▁Festival ▁of ▁Film ▁from ▁ 6 ▁October ▁– ▁ 1 4 ▁November ▁in ▁Sydney ▁and ▁Melbourne , ▁for ▁the ▁general ▁public , ▁and ▁for ▁Academy ▁and ▁A FI ▁members ▁to ▁view ▁and ▁judge . ▁The ▁first ▁nom ine es ▁were ▁announced ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁for ▁non - feature ▁film ▁categories : ▁Best ▁Fe ature ▁L ength ▁Document ary , ▁Best ▁Short ▁An imation ▁and ▁Best ▁Short ▁F iction ▁Film . ▁Round ▁one ▁voting ▁for ▁feature ▁film ▁categories ▁comm enced ▁on ▁ 2 ▁November ▁and ▁ended ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁November . ▁Following ▁the ▁announ cement ▁of ▁the ▁nom ine es ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁November , ▁round ▁two ▁voting ▁comm enced ▁to ▁determine ▁the ▁w inners ▁in ▁each ▁category , ▁and ▁ended ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁The ▁first ▁award ▁to ▁be ▁announced ▁was ▁the ▁Long ford ▁Ly ell ▁Award , ▁which ▁was ▁presented ▁to ▁cinemat ograph er ▁Don ▁Mc Al pine , ▁at ▁the ▁A ACT A ▁awards ▁lun che on , ▁and ▁marked ▁the ▁first ▁award ▁presented ▁by ▁the ▁Academy ▁since ▁its ▁in ception . ▁On ▁ 3 0 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁non -