Daniel Monks has gone from being a last-chance patient to joining a host of stars. Credit:Steven Siewert An outgoing boy who already knew he wanted to follow his mother into acting, Monks became a quadriplegic as an 11-year-old after complications from a biopsy. He credits Dr Teo with saving his life but remains paralysed on his right side. "When I became disabled I thought 'Oh, I can't be an actor any more' which is why I went into filmmaking," he says. "Then in developing this film, I thought 'This character is based on me and there's no one really better to play it so I'm going to take the opportunity'." The awards take place over two events at the Star in Sydney – an industry luncheon on Monday and the main ceremony, telecast on Channel Seven, on Wednesday night.

The recognition for Monks' first feature film follows a nomination for his first main stage play at the Helpmann Awards this year. He had the title role in The Real And Imagined History Of The Elephant Man at Melbourne's Malthouse Theatre. "The fact that they both got best actor nominations is the absolute dream of dreams coming true and I hope will mean I can continue to work and also open doors for other disabled actors and filmmakers," he says. Loading As he takes on characters not specifically written as disabled in Lord of the Flies for Sydney Theatre Company and First Love Is The Revolution for Griffin Theatre Company next year, Monks is ready to be a role model. "As a teenager I really struggled with shame around my sexuality and disability," he says. "If I can be openly proud about being disabled and gay then hopefully that can do more good for the world than me keeping it a secret."

While he recognises it is a complex issue, Monk is over able-bodied actors playing disabled characters in Oscar bait roles. "As disabled people, we're very often spoken for by people who are abled guardians or abled people who think they know our needs and interests," he says. "The fact that we're excluded from telling our own stories I find quite upsetting." Monks is one of four little-known actors up for film awards, alongside Hamilton Morris and Natassia Gorey-Furber, who played an Indigenous couple on the run in Sweet Country, and Fayssal Bazzi who was a Syrian refugee turned footballer in the comedy The Merger. There is also a poignant posthumous nomination for Damian Hill (West of Sunshine), who died suddenly six weeks ago. The youngest film acting nominee is 17-year-old Angourie Rice, who played a teenage shop assistant in Bruce Beresford's department store charmer Ladies In Black.

Just out of high school, she has already made 10 films including The Nice Guys, The Beguiled and two Spider-Man movies in Hollywood. "I'm super excited," she says from the set of what she calls a secret project in South Africa before flying to Sydney. Despite her age, Rice has a firm sense of the roles she wants. "Because I'm still quite young, a lot of teen films come through," she says. "There are still quite a few roles that are 'the girlfriend' or 'the love interest', which I'm not that interested in. Up for best actress in a feature film: 17-year-old Angourie Rice who played Lisa in Ladies In Black. Credit:Sony Pictures

"I'm looking for roles that are strong female leads and interesting and dynamic female leads and I've come across quite a few." Rice has no sense of her chances against Ladies In Black co-star Julia Ormond, Abbey Lee (1%), Rooney Mara (Mary Magdalene) and Kate Mulvany (The Merger). Loading "My whole family is coming so I'm very excited for that," she says. Best film and director at the awards are expected to be between Ladies In Black, which has 11 nominations, and Warwick Thornton's western Sweet Country, which has 10.

In television, the leading contenders are the outback crime drama Mystery Road and gay rights drama Riot – both with 11 nominations. AACTA AWARD CONTENDERS Loading Best Film

Boy Erased, Breath, Cargo, Ladies In Black, Sweet Country Likely winner: Sweet Country

Best Indie Film

Brothers’ Nest, Jirga, The Second, Strange Colours, West of Sunshine Likely winner: Jirga Best Direction

Joel Edgerton: Boy Erased, Simon Baker: Breath, Bruce Beresford: Ladies in Black, Warwick Thornton: Sweet Country Likely winner: Warwick Thornton: Sweet Country Best Lead Actress

Abbey Lee: 1%, Rooney Mara: Mary Magdalene, Kate Mulvany: The Merger, Julia Ormond: Ladies in Black, Angourie Rice: Ladies in Black

Likely winner: Kate Mulvany: The Merger Best Lead Actor

Ryan Corr: 1%, Lucas Hedges: Boy Erased, Damian Hill: West of Sunshine, Daniel Monks: Pulse, Hamilton Morris: Sweet Country Loading Likely winner: Lucas Hedges: Boy Erased Best Supporting Actress

Elizabeth Debicki: Breath, Natassia Gorey-Furber: Sweet Country, Noni Hazlehurst: Ladies In Black, Simone Kessell: 1%, Nicole Kidman: Boy Erased

Likely winner: Simone Kessell: 1% or Nicole Kidman: Boy Erased Best Supporting Actor

Simon Baker: Breath, Fayssal Bazzi: The Merger, Russell Crowe: Boy Erased, Joel Edgerton: Boy Erased, Josh McConville: 1% Likely winner: Russell Crowe: Boy Erased Best TV Drama Series

Jack Irish, Mr Inbetween, Mystery Road, Rake, Wentworth Likely winner: Mystery Road