American activist Monica Lewinsky, the former White House intern who was swept up in a 1990s sex scandal involving then-president Bill Clinton, has credited Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby with helping her reclaim her self esteem.
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Lewinsky made the remarks while presenting Gadsby with an award at the annual Australians in Film black-tie gala in Los Angeles on Thursday.
"In the context of her taking down the shame which simmers beneath the surface of comedy, Hannah reminded people that I personally had been, in the past and sometimes still in the present day, a punchline," Lewinsky said.
"And that moment for me was very healing."
The 45-year-old San Francisco-born Lewinsky credited Gadsby, who shot to prominence around the world off the back of her Netflix comedy special Nanette, with redefining comedy.
"The brilliance of Hannah - and by extension, her show - is she refuses to comply with [the traditional] model," Lewinsky said.
Instead, Gadsby's show offers not just humour but then explores her own history and experiences with sexual assault and homophobia.
"Horrific stories which formed the basis of the stories you heard earlier," Lewinsky said. "Hannah forces her audience to sit with her experiences and acknowledge her pain."
Gadsby received the Annette Kellerman Award at the gala; the award is named after the Australian professional swimmer who became one of cinema's first stars in the early 20th century and recognises "trailblazing Australian women" working in the US film industry.
The night's other major award recipient was actor Damon Herriman, who received the Orry-Kelly Award.
The award, given out annually by the Los Angeles-based Australian screen culture advocacy group Australians in Film, recognises a body of professional work which contributes to Australia's national identity.
"I guess that means Australia is becoming a nation of hit men, Southern rednecks, meth addicts and crazed killers because that's pretty much what I have played since I came to America," Herriman said.
The award is named after Orry George Kelly, a Kiama-born costume designer who worked in Hollywood from the 1940s to the 1960s, notching up three Oscar wins (An American in Paris, Les Girls and Some Like It Hot) and a fourth nomination (Gypsy).
Kelly, who worked for Warner Bros, Universal, 20th Century Fox, MGM and RKO Pictures, was referred to professionally as Orry-Kelly.
Past recipients of the award include directors Baz Luhrmann and John Polson, Big Little Lies producer Bruna Papandrea and film executive Greg Basser.
Last year's winner was comedian, writer, director and musician Tim Minchin.
Two "breakthrough" awards were presented to actors Keiynan Lonsdale and Eliza Scanlen. The breakthrough awards recognise Australian screen talent who have achieved a major international presence; past recipients include Margot Robbie, Chris Hemsworth, Elizabeth Debicki and Joel Edgerton.
Lonsdale's credits include The Flash, Love, Simon and Insurgent; Scanlen was seen most recently in HBO's Sharp Objects and will be seen in the upcoming Little Women.
Two Australians received the International Award, which recognises a substantial contribution to the Australian film industry: Academy Award-winning film editor Lee Smith and producer Mark Johnson. Smith's credits include Dunkirk and Inception; Johnson's credits include Rain Man and Breaking Bad.
The gala was held on LA's Paramount Studios film lot and was hosted by Academy Award-nominee Josh Lawson.
The guest list included producer and director Simon Kinberg, Bruna Papandrea, actor Sam Worthington and his model wife Lara Worthington and Australia's consul-general in Los Angeles, Chelsey Martin.
