The latest instalment in the X-Men franchise,The Wolverine, will begin filming in Sydney in August, with Hugh Jackman reprising the title role. The Wolverine was secured by a combination of Federal and NSW Government incentives and is expected to generate more than 720 jobs for cast and crew, and 1,200 jobs for extras.

“I couldn’t be more excited to return to Australia to film the next chapter in the Wolverine saga, thanks to the significant support from the Federal and NSW Governments,” Jackman said in a statement.

A miniseries about the shattering repercussions of a single event on a group of friends and family, a controversial comedy about the private life of our prime minister and a drama that follows members of a major crime squad as they investigate felony and murder in Sydney have won the 2012 Equity Awards.

The winners of the 2012 AACTA Awards were announced at the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday night. A big congratulations to our members who were recognised for their fine work.

Red Dog took out the top film award

View a full list of the winners here.

Actors’ Equity Australia is thrilled to announce the appointment of Sue McCreadie as its new director, commencing on March 1. Ms McCreadie joins Equity from NSW Trade & Investment where she was responsible for managing the state’s film incentives including, last year, a one-off $20 million Film Fund. Ms McCreadie will provide Equity with strong leadership in a challenging era, ensuring that performers’ rights are maintained and enhanced.

Equity's Federal President, Simon Burke, said the new appointment would ensure that performers continued to be well-represented.

“Sue is well-loved and respected on all sides of the industry. Her track record of excellence and achievement, whether with the state government, the Australian Writers’ Guild, with Screen NSW or with the Film Finance Corporation makes her ideally placed to step into this key role in the Australian entertainment industry.”

In an era when celebrity rules, Noni Hazlehurst worries that lack of opportunities for actors to do high-calibre work will have a negative impact on public perception of their worth

It is a great honour to be an actor. Through my work, I have discovered something my parents and my culture never taught me − that it’s okay to be me, that I don’t have to be perfect, that I am not alone with all my weaknesses and strengths, my doubts and fears, my highs and lows.

The joy of acting, of working on great plays that examine the human condition, is that you come to realise that it’s not just you who feels inadequate or does stupid things or feels insecure at times. And you experience the value of promulgating this liberating information and crashing through the ubiquitous barriers of spin and pretence that govern most of our public behaviour. Acting is about communicating not just emotions but ideas.

Voiceover artists across the country have voted to unilaterally increase rates of pay as of February 1, 2012.

See the new rates and conditions here.

Equity has historically negotiated minimum rates for commercial voiceover work with the peak body for the advertising industry, the Communications Council (formally the Advertising Federation of Australia). The rates for commercial voiceovers were last increased on June 1, 2008. Despite many attempts by Equity to negotiate with the Communications Council this year for an increase in commercial voiceover rates and amendments to the current internet protocol, the Communications Council has not agreed to meet with Equity to discuss these rates and conditions.

On Thursday November 10, 2011, voiceover performers met nationally and unanimously voted to increase commercial voiceover minimum rates by 10% from February 1, 2012.

Equity notes that the 10% increase in minimum rates is in line with CPI increases over the last three years.