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2023 ADG Awards
Winners Announced
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Poignant portrayals of the struggles of two distinctly different women have earned their directors the ultimate accolade in the Australian Directors’ Guild Awards, announced this evening.
Victorian filmmaker Noora Niasari’s Shayda, about a young Iranian mother who takes refuge in an Australian women’s shelter with her six-year-old daughter during the two weeks of the Persian New Year, has won her the top gong for Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget $1m or over) in the prestigious, peer-judged awards.
Sydney-based director Dr Claire Pasvolsky has taken out the Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget under $1m) award for Three Chords and the Truth, which tells the story of a self-sabotaging 40-something musician who finds herself terminally ill, alone and struggling financially before forging an unlikely bond with a teenage runaway.
Judges said Niasari’s Shayda, which has been named Australia’s official entry for the Best International Feature category at next year’s Oscars, demonstrates the director’s “exceptional control of story, screen language and performance”, and is “a fabulous debut for a director.”
Judges described Pasvolsky’s film, set in Newcastle and starring Australian singer-songwriter Jackie Marshall in her first acting role, as “restrained, tender and vulnerable”.
The award for Best Direction in a Debut Feature Film has gone to Mark Leonard Winter for The Rooster, about a small-time cop who seeks answers from a volatile hermit, played by Hugo Weaving, who was the last person to see his troubled friend alive. The film was shot in the stunning Daylesford forests surrounding Winter’s Glenlyon home.
The Rooster was described as “an astonishing debut film that deeply affected judges with the depth and complexity of its character development and provided a vehicle for what may be Weaving’s most powerful performance to date”.
Niasari, Pasvolsky and Winter, as well as Emma Sullivan who won Best Direction in a Documentary Feature for her portrayal of psychopathic Danish inventor Peter Madsen in Into the Deep, are all first-time feature film directors. Sullivan’s documentary played a critical role in the conviction of Madsen for the murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall, which occurred as the documentary was being made. Judges said the film “distinguished itself through the director's adept adherence to the unadulterated narrative, deftly coupled with an editing approach that weaved a captivating and suspenseful tapestry."
Australian Directors’ Guild Executive Director Sophie Harper said seeing debut feature filmmakers take out the top four awards this year was incredibly exciting and a first for the ADG Awards.
“Australia has rightfully earned a reputation for our compelling, relatable and distinctive screen storytelling over many decades and this year’s winners demonstrate the incredible depth of new talent coming through
the ranks,” Ms Harper said. Ms Harper said one of the biggest challenges facing Australian directors was breaking into the professional
ranks and then maintaining a long-term, viable career. Ongoing struggles to ensure suitable Australian content quotas and conditions for streamed content were placing additional pressure on the local industry.
“These awards not only provide a springboard for many directors to launch national and international careers but shine a spotlight on our best local filmmaking as a tangible reminder of why it’s so important that
we protect and promote homegrown directing talent,” she said.
Seventy-four judges, among them some of Australia’s most celebrated directors, viewed 329 entries in this year’s awards across 20 categories.
Indigenous storytellers who were recognised include Queensland-based Torres Strait Islander John Harvey, who won Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Documentary Series Episode or Documentary One-Off Award for
Still We Rise. Harvey painstakingly pieced together archival footage and photos to produce his detailed story of the establishment of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra, the world’s longest living protest, on its 50th anniversary.
Kerinne Jenkins and Nicole Hutton-Lewis won Best Direction in an Interactive or Immersive Project for In our
Own Right – Black Australian Nurses’ Stories. Another outstanding documentary work, Tom Chapman’s Eden Alone Surpasses Thee, depicting the plight of at-risk youth in Tasmania’s remote west coast and one man’s determination to provide opportunities to those who have few, won its director the award for Best Direction in a Documentary Short Subject.
Australian Directors’ Guild President Rowan Woods congratulated the winners and thanked every filmmaker who had entered the 2023 awards.
“Tonight’s awards are an opportunity to celebrate all that’s great about Australian filmmaking and to remind audiences that Australian directors are up there with the world’s best, whether they are working in film,
television, documentary, animation music videos or interactive media,” Mr Woods said. “It’s more important than ever that we acknowledge and celebrate their achievements.”
The ADG Awards is supported by sponsors including Principal Partner ASDACS and Major Partner Netflix Australia.
LIST OF 2023 AUSTRALIAN DIRECTORS’ GUILD
AWARD WINNERS
Best Direction in a Mobile-First Online Series Episode
Erin Good – Krystal Klairvoyant: Episode 22 – Season Finale
Best Direction in a Children's TV or SVOD Drama Series Episode
Nicholas Verso – Crazy Fun Park: Season 1: Episode 1 – I Don't Want To Grow Up
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Documentary Series Episode or Documentary One-Off
John Harvey – Still We Rise
Best Direction in a Documentary Short Subject
Tom Chapman – Eden Alone Surpasses Thee
Best Direction of Commercial Content
James Dive – Don’t You Forget About Me
Best Direction in a Commercial Advertisement
Sanjay De Silva – IKEA – Show Off Your Savvy
Best Direction in an Online Drama Series Episode
Bonnie Cee – Casino Beach – Pilot
Best Direction in an Online Comedy Series Episode
Madeleine Gottlieb – Latecomers: Episode 6 – Coming Good
Best Direction in an Interactive or Immersive Project
Kerinne Jenkins and Nicole Hutton-Lewis –
In Our Own Right -Black Australian Nurses' Stories
Best Direction in a Short Film
Alies Sluiter – Myth
Best Direction in a Student Film
(Tie) Gabriel Murphy – Enemy Alien
(Tie) Vee Shi – Jia
Best Direction in Animation
Ricard Cussó and Tania Vincent – Scarygirl
Best Direction in a Music Video
Toby Morris – Middle Kids – Bootleg Firecracker
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Comedy Series Episode
Max Miller – Aunty Donna's Coffee Café: Season 1: Episode 2
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series Episode
Emma Freeman – The Newsreader: Season 2: Episode 5
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Mini-Series Episode
Tony Krawitz – Significant Others: Episode 1
Best Direction in a Documentary Feature
Emma Sullivan – Into The Deep
Best Direction in a Debut Feature Film
Mark Leonard Winter – The Rooster
Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget under $1M)
Claire Pasvolsky – Three Chords And The Truth
Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget $1M or over)
Noora Niasari – Shayda
Honorable mention (Best Direction in a Documentary Feature)
Selina Miles – Harley and Katya
Honorable mention (Feature Film Budget $1m or over)
Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes – Late Night With the Devil
FULL LIST OF NOMINEES 2023 ADG AWARDS
Best Direction in a Mobile-First Online Series Episode
| Joel Ludemann | Tales From 88 |
| Erin Good | Krystal Klairvoyant (E22) – Season Finale |
Best Direction in a Children's TV or SVOD Drama Series Episode
| Elissa Down | Ivy + Bean: Doomed to Dance |
| Guy Edmonds | Spooky Files (S1 E9) – The Mist of Misery |
| Imogen McCluskey | Soundtrack To Our Teenage Zombie Apocalypse (S1 E10) |
| Julie Kalceff | The PM’s Daughter (S2 E2) – Be Relentless |
| Nicholas Verso | Crazy Fun Park (S1 E1) – I Don’t Want To Grow Up |
| Tenika Smith | Turn Up The Volume (E6) |
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Documentary Series Episode or Documentary One-Off
| John Harvey | Still We Rise |
| Kriv Stenders | The Black Hand (E1) |
| Nick Robinson | Australia’s Wild Odyssey (E1) – Arteries and Veins |
| Patrick Abboud | Kids Raising Kids |
| Stamatia Maroupas | Queerstralia (E1) – The Law |
Best Direction in a Documentary Short Subject
| Hailey Bartholomew | Ageless |
| Madeleine Mytkowski | Salt Dreams |
| Sofya Gollan & Jodee Mundy OAM | Imagined Touch |
| Tilly Robba & Steph Jowett | Lesbians on the Loose |
| Tom Chapman | Eden Alone Surpasses Thee |
Best Direction in Commercial Content
| Craig Melville | Dead Island 2 – Another Day in HELL.A |
| Gavin Banks | Sione’s Story – Department of Communities and Justice |
| Gracie Otto | Zimmermann Fall 22 – Stargazer |
| Henry Stone | Square Mo-gal Webin-ya! |
| James Dive | Don’t You Forget About Me |
| Selina Miles | Ovaries. Talk About Them. |
Best Direction in a Commercial Advertisement
| Michael Spiccia | Amazon Prime – Separation |
| Michael Spiccia | Enchanté – Smell the Roses |
| Nash Edgerton | Tag Heuer – The Chase for Carrera |
| Sanjay De Silva | IKEA – Show Off Your Savvy |
| Tom Noakes | Amazon Books – That Reading Feeling Awaits |
| Yianni Warnock | Meat & Livestock Australia – Infinite Cultural Exile |
Best Direction in an Online Drama Series Episode
| Bonnie Cee | Casino Beach – Pilot |
| Tam Sainsbury | Time & Place |
Best Direction in an Online Comedy Series Episode
| Madeleine Gottlieb | Latecomers (E4) – Wet |
| Madeleine Gottlieb | Latecomers (E6) – Coming Good |
| Max Miller | Finding Yeezus (S1 E1) |
| Neil Sharma | Appetite (E1) – Dead Head |
| Neil Sharma | Appetite (E2) – Pho Ken What? |
| Renée Mao | A Beginner’s Guide To Grief (E1) |
Best Direction in an Interactive or Immersive Project
| Kerinne Jenkins & Nicole Hutton-Lewis | In Our Own Right – Black Australian Nurses’ Stories |
| Peter Hegedüs | Sorella’s Story |
| Stuart McDonald | Choose Love |
Best Direction in a Short Film
| Alies Sluiter | Myth |
| David Ma | The Dancing Girl and The Balloon Man |
| David Robinson-Smith | We Used to Own Houses |
| Matthew Thorne & Derik Lynch | Marungka Tjalatjunu – Dipped in Black |
| Neer Shelter | Perspectives |
| Robin Summons | Victim |
Best Direction in a Student Film
| Gabriel Murphy | Enemy Alien |
| Gilbert Kemp Attrill | Reunion |
| Guillym Davenport | Pitch Black |
| Karen Liebau McPherson | Laugh With Me |
| Stephen Di Gravio | Anna |
| Vee Shi | Jia |
Best Direction in Animation
| Christian Barkel | Lego Monkie Kid (S4) |
| Ricard Cussó & Tania Vincent | Scarygirl |
Best Direction in a Music Video
| Bill Bleakley | The Teskey Brothers – True Life Trilogy |
| Jesse Samos Leaman | Didirri – Often Broken |
| Kaius Potter | Bad//Dreems – See You Tomorrow |
| Lucy Knox | DMAS – Forever |
| Sanjay De Silva | Jerome Farah – Concrete Jungle Fever |
| Toby Morris | Middle Kids – Bootleg Firecracker |
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Comedy Series Episode
| Robyn Butler & Wayne Hope | Summer Love, (S1 E1) – Jules and Tom and Jonah and Steph |
| Bjorn Stewart | Gold Diggers (S1 E5) – Man Ban |
| Helena Brooks | Gold Diggers (S1 E3) – I’m with the Bandits |
| Matthew Moore | Colin From Accounts – (S1 E6) – The Good Room |
| Max Miller | Aunty Donna’s Coffee Café (S1 E2) |
| Shaun Wilson | Romantic Getaway |
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series Episode
| Emma Freeman | The Newsreader (S2) - Episode 5 |
| Gracie Otto | Heartbreak High (S1 E8) |
| Gracie Otto | Deadloch (S1 E6) |
| Jennifer Leacey | The Secrets She Keeps (S2 E3) |
| Sian Davies | Black Snow (E1) |
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Mini- Series Episode
| Peter Andrikidis & Katrina Irawati Graham | Bali 2002 (E1) – Island of the Gods |
| Jeffrey Walker | The Clearing (E1) – The Season of Unfoldment |
| Corrie Chen | Bad Behaviour (E1) – Moth to a Flame |
| Peter Andrikidis & Katrina Irawati Graham | Bali 2002 (E2) – From the Ashes |
| Stevie Cruz-Martin | Safe Home (E1) |
| Tony Krawitz | Significant Others (E1) |
Best Direction in a Documentary Feature
| Allan Clarke | The Dark Emu Story |
| Emma Sullivan | Into the Deep |
| Gillian Moody & Adrian Russell Wills | Kindred |
| Laurence Billiet & Rachael Antony | The Giants |
| Poppy Stockell | John Farnham – Finding the Voice |
| Selina Miles | Harley & Katya |
Best Direction in a Debut Feature Film
| Brenda Matthews & Nathaniel Schmidt | The Last Daughter |
| Gabriel Gasparinatos | OneFour – Against All Odds |
| Jub Clerc | Sweet As |
| Mark Leonard Winter | The Rooster |
| Matt Vesely | Monolith |
| Thomas Hyland | This Is Going to Be Big |
Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget under $1M)
| Amin Palangi | Tennessine |
| Claire Pasvolsky | Three Chords and the Truth |
| James Vinson | Slant |
| Molly Haddon | The Longest Weekend |
| Scott Major | Darklands |
Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget $1M or over)
| Colin & Cameron Cairnes | Late Night With The Devil |
| Gracie Otto | Seriously Red |
| Jeffrey Walker | The Portable Door |
| Noora Niasari | Shayda |
| Warwick Thornton | The New Boy |
NOMINEES ANNOUNCEMENT
2023 AUSTRALIAN DIRECTORS’ GUILD AWARDS
First Nations director Warwick Thornton, whose feature films Samson and Delilah and Sweet Country won international acclaim, is among a slew of Indigenous Australians nominated in the prestigious 2023 Australian Directors’ Guild Awards.
Thornton’s direction of The New Boy, about an orphaned Aboriginal boy sent to live in an outback monastery, sets the scene for a strong focus on First Nations storytelling among this year’s awards nominees.
The full list of nominations for the 2023 Australian Directors’ Guild Awards, which recognise Australia’s top directing talent, has been announced today.
Australian Directors’ Guild Executive Director Sophie Harper said the awards would be a celebration of the very best in Australian directing across all genres and platforms.
“The Australian Directors’ Guild Awards are the only awards in Australia where directors are judged by their peers, many of whom are world-renowned for their own achievements,” Ms Harper said.
Vying with Thornton for Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget $1m or over) is an eclectic mix of talent. Tehran-born Australian director Noora Niasari has been nominated for her debut feature Shayda; horror film siblings Colin and Cameron Cairnes have been recognised for Late Night with the Devil; Gracie Otto has been nominated for her debut narrative feature film Seriously Red and former actor and director Jeffrey Walker is in the running for fantasy adventure The Portable Door.
Niasari’s Shayda, about a young Iranian mother who finds refuge with her daughter in an Australian women’s shelter, has been named Australia’s official entry for the Best International Feature category at next year’s Oscars.
Otto, daughter of Australian acting royalty Barry and sister of Miranda, has been recognised in two additional categories – Best Direction of Commercial Content for Zimmermann Fall 22 – Stargazer; and two nominations for Best Direction in a TV or Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) Drama Series Episode for Heartbreak High and Deadloch. Walker received a second nomination in the TV or SVOD Mini-Series category for The Clearing.
In an all-female line-up, Otto’s fellow nominees in the TV or SVOD Drama Series Episode category include Emma Freeman (The Newsreader), Jennifer Leacey (The Secrets She Keeps) and Sian Davies (Black Snow).
Emma Sullivan’s depiction of the story of journalist Kim Wall who was murdered after boarding Danish inventor Peter Madsen’s submarine in Into the Deep, and Selina Miles’ direction of Harley and Katya, the tragic story of an Australian figure skating duo, have each earned a nomination for Best Direction in a Documentary Feature.
They’re joined by Laurence Billiet and Rachael Antony for The Giants, about the life of politician-turned-environmentalist Bob Brown, and Poppy Stockell for her direction of John Farnham – Finding the Voice.
Indigenous director Allan Clarke’s The Dark Emu Story, charting the impact of Bruce Pascoe’s book, and Wodi Wodi woman Gillian Moody’s Kindred, about her connection back to her bloodlines after being adopted into a white family, have also earned them a nomination in the documentary feature category.
Torres Strait Islander John Harvey has been nominated in the Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Documentary Series Episode or Documentary One-Off category for Still We Rise, documenting the Aboriginal Tent Embassy opposite Old Parliament House in the year of its 50th anniversary. Also nominated in the category are Kriv Stenders (The Black Hand - E1); Nick Robinson (Australia’s Wild Odyssey E1 – Arteries and Veins); Patrick Abboud (Kids Raising Kids) and Stamatia Maroupas (Queerstralia E1 – The Law).
First Nations director Jub Clerc’s Sweet As, about an Australian teen who discovers her love for photography at a youth camp in Western Australia, has earned her a nomination for Best Direction in a Debut Feature Film. Brenda Matthews and Nathaniel Schmidt have also been nominated in the category for The Last Daughter, charting Matthews’ search for the white foster family with whom she had lost all contact.
Other debut feature film nominees include Gabriel Gasparinatos (OneFour – Against All Odds); Mark Leonard Winter (The Rooster); Matt Vesely (Monolith) and Thomas Hyland (This is Going to Be Big).
For Best Direction in a Short Film, Yankunytjatjara man Derik Lynch and Matthew Thorne have been nominated for Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black), alongside Alies Sluiter (Myth); David Ma (The Dancing Girl and the Balloon Man); David Robinson-Smith (We Used to Own Houses); Neer Shelter (Perspectives) and Robin Summons (Victim).
The winners of the 20 categories in the 2023 Australian Directors’ Guild Awards will be announced at an awards ceremony at The Grand Electric in Sydney’s Surry Hills on Tuesday, December 5.
ADG President Rowan Woods said: “The awards recognise outstanding directing in everything from mobile-first online series and children’s TV drama to best music video, animation or feature film, and we’re delighted to see more nominations than ever this year.
“Judges have been blown away by the quality of entrants and have been particularly impressed by the calibre of up-and-coming talent. A win for any one of these newcomers could be the launch pad for an enduring and impactful career and we’re excited to see who takes out the awards on December 5.”
Ms Harper urged those with a passion for Australian filmmaking to come along to the awards ceremony, which is open to the public as well as industry members.
“Whether you’re an emerging director wanting to network with the best of the best in the field or a film buff who wants an inside run on the hottest new Australian directors, get in quickly and grab your tickets,” Ms Harper said.
The ADG Awards is supported by sponsors including Principal Partner ASDACS and Major Partner Netflix Australia. Limited tickets are available. Book now at www.strutnfret.com/grand-electric
2023 ADG Awards Entries Now Closed |
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2023 ADG AWARDS CATEGORIES
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Terms and conditions for eligibility and category information can be found HERE If you have any questions or concerns, please email ash.gray@adg.org.au. |
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To visit the ADG 2022 AWARDS page, go to: Australian Directors' Guild - ADG AWARDS 2022
To visit the ADG 2021 AWARDS page, go to: Australian Directors' Guild - ADG AWARDS 2021