, ▁to ▁the ▁more ▁recogn ised ▁and ▁understood ▁elements ▁of ▁foreign ▁film ▁organis ations . ▁These ▁awards ▁will ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁continu um ▁to ▁the ▁Australian ▁Film ▁Institute ▁Awards , ▁which ▁were ▁presented ▁by ▁the ▁Australian ▁Film ▁Institute . ▁A ▁gold ▁stat u ette ▁was ▁created ▁by ▁Australian ▁sculpt or ▁Ron ▁G omb oc , ▁which ▁dep ict s ▁" a ▁human ▁sil hou ette ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁shape ▁of ▁the ▁Southern ▁Cross ▁const ell ation ." ▁The ▁nom ine es ▁and ▁w inners ▁were ▁determined ▁by ▁the ▁Academy ' s ▁fifteen ▁Chap ters , ▁which ▁compr ise ▁screen ▁profession als ▁from ▁industry ▁gu ild s ▁and ▁organis ations ▁including ▁actors , ▁direct ors , ▁produ cers ▁and ▁screen writ ers , ▁who ▁each ▁decide ▁the ▁nom ine es ▁in ▁their ▁individual ▁fields ▁and ▁then ▁vote ▁for ▁the ▁w inners ▁of ▁each ▁category . ▁The ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁awards ▁is ▁Australian ▁actor ▁Geoff rey ▁R ush . ▁ ▁Works ▁entered ▁between ▁ 7 ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁and ▁ 2 ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁for ▁films , ▁and ▁ 5 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁and ▁ 2 4 ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁for ▁short ▁films ▁and ▁document aries ▁were ▁el ig ible ▁for ▁awards . ▁The ▁films ▁in ▁competition ▁for ▁the ▁inaug ural ▁awards ▁were ▁revealed ▁at ▁the ▁announ cement ▁of ▁the ▁Academy , ▁with ▁twenty - three ▁Australian ▁feature ▁films ▁originally ▁sl ated ▁to ▁comp ete ▁for ▁awards , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁eventually ▁brought