Mr. Rush has been named the inaugural president of a new Australian Academy that will present film awards. Here’s an article about this:

Geoffrey Rush named president of Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts
Matthew Westwood From: The Australian August 18, 2011
Source

GEOFFREY Rush has been named the inaugural president of a new Australian Academy that will present the nation’s peak film awards.

The Oscar-winning actor attended a launch party in Sydney tonight to announce the new awards, which replace the AFI Awards.

The AACTA Awards will be handed out by the newly formed Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts.

The ceremony will be moved to January, placing the Australian honours firmly in the crowded awards corridor that includes the British BAFTAS, the US Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards, and culminates in the Academy Awards in late February.

“Through the timely creation of AACTA we have a unique opportunity to galvanise the craft and talent this country endlessly produces,” Rush said.

AACTA will comprise screen industry professionals (including existing AFI members) and be organised into 15 chapters representing different areas of expertise.

The chapters will make nominations in their specialist fields, and all Academy members would vote on them for the AACTA Awards.