BAZ LUHRMANN - BAZ LUHRMANN PAYS TRIBUTE TO CHILD STAR BRANDON WALTERS

BAZ LUHRMANN PAYS TRIBUTE TO CHILD STAR BRANDON WALTERS

Director Baz Luhrmann has praised the staggering talents of young Aboriginal actor Brandon Walters.

The 12-year-old plays an integral role in Luhrmann's new film Australia as Nullah, a mixed-race Aboriginal child.

And despite never having acted before, the youngster has received sumptuous critical acclaim for his performance, as well as a nomination in the best young actor/actress category at the 14th Annual Critics' Choice awards.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the release of his new epic, Luhrmann said Walters was the most "incredible thing" in the film.

"To give you some context - as I speak to you he's probably hitting marsupials on the head with a bit of wood in the bush," he explained as an example of the boy's upbringing.

The Oscar-nominated director continued: "Not only am I idiotic enough to try and reinvent the sweeping epic, and put a social issue that's explosive in my home country in the middle of it - I also decided to have a young Aboriginal boy be the lead and narrate!

"I would have trouble finding a European boy of that age who could act. The team saw 1,000 boys to start with. But what's incredible about Brandon is - it's not acting.

"There's something so much more affecting about putting something real in the midst of our attempt at shadows which is drama.

"He's quite a miracle and we're very lucky to have him because no Brandon - no movie."

Australia is released on Boxing Day.