Russell Crowe's directorial debut The Water Diviner looks set to dominate the upcoming Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) Awards after scoring eight nominations.

The World War Ii drama, which marks Crowe's first stint behind the camera, landed him both a Best Film nomination and a nod for Best Lead Actor at the AACTA Awards, Australia's version of the Oscars.

The movie also scored nods in the categories for Best Supporting Actor (Yilmaz Erdogan), Best Supporting Actress (Jacqueline MCKenzie) and Best Original Screenplay, as well as mentions for editing, production and costume design.

Ethan Hawke's sci-fi thriller Predestination also looks set to be a big winner with nine nominations, going up against The Water Diviner in categories including Best Film, while another major contender is The Rover, with seven nods.

Guy Pearce is to compete with Crowe for the Best Lead Actor trophy for his role in the dystopian drama, while his co-star Robert Pattinson leads the Best Supporting Actor category.

Other nominees in the Best Film category along with The Water Diviner and Predestination include horror movie The Babadook, The Railway Man, starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman, Charlie's Country, and Mia Wasikowska's Tracks.

Inxs drama Inxs - Never Tear Us Apart scored multiple nominations in the Tv categories including a Best Lead Actor In A Television Drama nod for Luke Arnold for his role as tragic singer Michael Hutchence.

The awards will be handed out at a ceremony in Sydney, Australia on 29 January (15).