The Australian Directors’ Guild today announced nominees for the 2020 ADG Awards to take place on October 19.
A record 202 entries were received this year, up from 117 in 2019.
The Awards celebrate the outstanding work of Australian screen directors over the past year across 19 categories including film, television, online, music and advertising.
Six directors will vie for the Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget $1M or over). They are
Thomas Wright for Acute Misfortune, Sophie Hyde for Animals, John Sheedy for H is for Happiness, Ben Lawrence for Hearts and Bones, Natalie Erika James for Relic and Wayne Blair for Top End Wedding.
Some of Australia’s most exciting young cinema talent are represented in the nominations for the Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget under $1M) category. Nominees are Josephine Mackerras for Alice, Imogen Thomas for Emu Runner, Lucy Colman for Hot Mess, Luke Sullivan for Reflections In The Dust and Samuel Van Grinsven for Sequin In A Blue Room.
The nominees for Best Direction in a Documentary Feature are Ian Darling for The Final Quarter, Maya Newell for In My Blood It Runs, Peter Hegedus for LILI and Allan Hardy for Viva The Underdogs.
Sophie Hyde and Jeffrey Walker have both been nominated twice in this year’s awards. They are two of the four directors nominated for Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Mini-Series. The nominees are Mat King for Bloom – Episode 5, Sophie Hyde for The Hunting – Episode 4, Jeffrey Walker for Lambs Of God – Episode 1 and Emma Freeman for Stateless – Episode 3.
The nominees for Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series are Jeffrey Walker for The Commons - Episode 1, Nash Edgerton for Mr. Inbetween - Episode 4 Season 2, Peter Andrikidis for Reckoning - Episode 4, Tony Krawitz for Secret City - Episode 1 Season 2, Rachel Perkins for Total Control - Episode 4 and Kevin Carlin for Wentworth - Episode 10 Season 7.
Rebecca O’Brien has been nominated for Best Direction in a Children’s TV or SVOD Drama Program for The Unlisted – Episode 13, a role she received support through the ADG/Gender Matters shadow directing program. Lucy Gaffy and Darlene Johnson also supported previously through this program have been nominated today.
“At these challenging times, it is more important than ever that we come together as a creative community to celebrate our achievements of the past year. Australian directors are creating fine work across all forms and genres and these nominations reflect the depth of talent in this country,” said ADG Executive Director Diana Burnett.
A full list of nominees across all 19 categories is below.
ADG AWARDS NOMINEES 2020
In order of project title.
Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget $1M or over)
Thomas M. Wright - Acute Misfortune
Sophie Hyde - Animals John Sheedy - H is for Happiness
Ben Lawrence - Hearts and Bones Natalie Erika James - Relic Wayne Blair - Top End Wedding
Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget under $1M)
Josephine Mackerras – Alice
Imogen Thomas – Emu Runner
Lucy Coleman – Hot Mess
Luke Sullivan – Reflections In The Dust
Samuel Van Grinsven - Sequin In A Blue Room
Best Direction in a Documentary Feature
Ian Darling - The Final Quarter
Maya Newell - In My Blood It Runs
Peter Hegedus - LILI
Allan Hardy - Viva The Underdogs
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series
Jeffrey Walker - The Commons - Episode 1
Nash Edgerton - Mr. Inbetween - Episode 4 Season 2
Peter Andrikidis – Reckoning - Episode 4
Tony Krawitz – Secret City - Episode 1 Season 2
Rachel Perkins - Total Control - Episode 4
Kevin Carlin – Wentworth - Episode 10 Season 7
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Mini-Series
Mat King – Bloom – Episode 5
Sophie Hyde – The Hunting – Episode 4
Jeffrey Walker – Lambs Of God – Episode 1
Emma Freeman – Stateless – Episode 3
Best Direction in a Documentary Series
Rosie Jones - The Cult Of The Family - Episode 1
Cian O’Clery - Love On The Spectrum - Episode 1
Genevieve Clay Smith – Perspective Shift - Episode 1
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Comedy Series
Matthew Moore - Diary Of An Uber Driver - Episode 2
Amanda Brotchie – The Letdown - Episode 1
Trent O’Donnell – The Letdown - Episode 4 Season 2
Matthew Saville – Upright - Episode 5
Best Direction in a Children’s TV or SVOD Drama Program
Kacie Anning – Hardball – Episode 6
Isaac Elliot – The Legend of Burnout Barry
Lucy Gaffy – The Unlisted - Episode 10
Rebecca O’Brien – The Unlisted - Episode 13
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Serial
Renee Webster - The Heights - Episode 15
Darlene Johnson - The Heights - Episode 22 Arnie Custo - Home and Away - Episode 7117 Dany Raco - Home and Away - Episode 7225
David Gould - Home and Away - Episode 7271
Kate Kendall - Neighbours -Episode 8052 Tony Gardiner - Neighbours - Episode 8325
Best Direction in an Animated Project
Jo-Anne Boag - Alice-Miranda: Friends Forever
Holly Hargreaves - Bonnie The Elephant
Best Direction in Commercial Content
Nicholas Carlton – A Future For All Of Us (Australian Greens)
