Hooper to host WA film gongs
Popular Perth funny woman Claire Hooper will host this year's WA Screen Awards, which for the first time will be held at the Heath Ledger Theatre.
Hooper, who began her career in theatre and stand-up in Perth before becoming a regular on Good News Week, is thrilled to return home to front our version of the Oscars.
"The best thing about the WA Screen Awards is that folks in this industry are used to just missing out on stuff, so there's not too much angst in the room when I announce the winner," joked the always cheeky Hooper.
The 37-year-old Curtin University graduate said that awards were an important way of keeping our talent at home.
"I'm so proud of the work that WA artists are making on screens around the world," she said.
"The more glamour we can throw at them on a night like this, the more encouragement there is for them to create beautiful work in the West."
The WASAs are being held in conjunction with the Revelation Perth International Film Festival, which is on from July 3 to July 13 and will reflect the surge in the local film industry, which culminated in a previous winner, Zak Hilditch, being selected for the Directors' Fortnight at the recent Cannes festival.
A vibrant industry needed a classy event to showcase it, Hooper said.
"The venue is stunning," she said. "I'm going to look stunning, given they are getting me out of my jeans and into a red carpet frock, so everyone else better rise to the occasion, too."
