Grasse will present a session titled, Technology & Film: An Antipodean View of our Future as Filmmakers, at The A-List Hollywood Awards on July 29.

Grasse makes a noise about opening a Curious office in Chicago USA, in May

The A-List Hollywood Awards are adland newbies. They began as the NXT Stage Awards in 2008, and relaunched in 2012. Their stated point of difference is: “the first advertising awards event of its kind in Hollywood, the entertainment capital, to focus on the intersection between advertising and entertainment in today’s multi-platform world.”

This year, there are six umbrella sections (Interactive and Online Video are new this year) – Moving Image, Interactive, Branded Entertainment, Film Craft, Entertainment Marketing, Online Video – divided into various categories, plus a New Directors Showcase and Short Films.

The Awards are presented by section throughout the year in separate events. Peter Grasse is one of four presenters at the Film Advertising Craft Awards in Los Angeles.

He shares the stage with Walt Disney Animation & Interactive Studios, Partizan, and Life After Pi creators – Scott Leberecht and Christina Lee Storm.

• Walt Disney will discuss The Tunes Behind the Toons
• Partizan is presenting a Short Film & Music Video Showcase
• Grasse’s An Antipodean View of our Future as Filmmakers examines the dangers of our industry’s topical obsession with applied technology.

“In the face of technology, true craft in film is more important than ever. I’ll show Antipodean examples of both innovation and restraint, which support my philosophy for making the most of our opportunities as commercial storytellers,” Grasse stated.

• A Life After Pi screening and panel discussion will conclude the event.

What’s this new A-List Awards about?

All the names you know and admire appear on the advisory boards or in juries: Finch’s Rob Galluzzo and Revolver/Will O’Rourke’s Michael Ritchie are on the upcoming 2014 Film Advertising Crafts, New Directors Showcase and Short Films jury.

Moving Image Advertising 2014 has been awarded. McCann Melbourne’s Dumb Ways to Die won Gold in Interactive Campaign and Technique – TV/Cinema/Online/Mobile, plus Silver in Interactive Games for Metro Trains

Curious Film won Bronze for Direction (director: Taika Waititi) in Technique – TV/Cinema/Online/Mobile, for both Blazed and Carlton Dry Hello Beer.

Branded Entertainment 2014 has also been awarded.

Clemenger BBDO Sydney won Bronze in Games: Online, PC/Console & Mobile for Skittles Telekinize The Rainbow.

Overall, the US is this year’s star so far. In last year’s awards, the UK gave the US a run for its money.

Creative Artists Agency’s The Scarecrow for Chipotle took home a huge haul in both sections – 3 Golds and 1 Silver in Branded Entertainment, 2 Silvers and 1 Gold in Moving Image Advertising

Pereira O’Dell did well for Intel in Branded Entertainment, and The Martin Agency’s Clouds of Cuba did well for the JFK Presidential Library.

The whole, rather complex, story of the The A-List Hollywood Awards is presented in piecemeal fashion here.

Here’s a video from the site’s mantelpiece: