The Australian Director’s Guild (ADG) has announced the nominations for their 2017 Awards, and this year the awards are guaranteed to recognise a new talent, with all five nominees in the category of Best Direction in a Feature Film having made their feature film debut. That’s Garth Davis for Lion, Simon Stone for The Daughter, Ben Young for Hounds of Love, Craig Boreham for Teenage Kicks and Jonathan Leahy for Skin Deep.
Over in TV, however, are more established directors, including Tony Krawitz, Robert Connolly, Matthew Saville and Rowan Woods.
Last year’s winners of Best Director in a Feature Film and Academy Award nominees, meanwhile, Bentley Dean and Martin Butler (Tanna) have been nominated for A Sense of Self in the category of Best Direction in a Documentary Short Subject.
To be eligible for the Awards, all work must have screened publicly for the first time between 1 July 2015 and 31 December 2016, except for student films where the project needs only to have been completed within these dates. The ADG Awards are the only opportunity for Australian directors and their work to be acknowledged by their directing peers. The Awards recognise excellence in the craft and art of directing, as well as acknowledging individual contributions by Australian Screen Directors to film, television, documentary, animation and interactive media.
The full list of nominations can be found below.
BEST DIRECTION IN A FEATURE FILM
Ben Young for Hounds of Love
Craig Boreham for Teenage Kicks
Garth Davis for Lion
Jonathan Leahy for Skin Deep
Simon Stone for The Daughter
BEST DIRECTION IN A SHORT FILM
Dejan Mrkic for Silence
Jennifer Perrott for The Ravens
Josh Tanner for Wandering Soul
Luci Schroder for Slapper
Lucy Gaffy for Dream Baby
Sarah Hatherley for Lost Soul
BEST DIRECTION IN A STUDENT FILM
Meaghan Palmer for Tasty
Morgan Healy for Disabused
Dane McCusker for Angelfish
Sunday Emerson Gullifer for Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
BEST DIRECTION IN A DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
Aaron Peterson for Zach’s Ceremony
Amanda Blue for Deep Water: The Real Story
Dan Jackson for In the Shadow of the Hill
Gillian Leahy for Baxter and Me
Pete Gleeson for Hotel Coolgardie
BEST DIRECTION IN A DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Sally Aitken for Streets of Your Town
Simon Nasht for Howard On Menzies
BEST DIRECTION IN A DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
Bentley Dean and Martin Butler for A Sense of Self
Kay Pavlou for Recognition – Yes or No?
Thomas Abood for The End of The Line|
Wes Greene for Return to Bosnia
ESBEN STORM AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION IN A CHILDREN’S TV OR SVOD DRAMA
Robyn Butler for Little Lunch Special: The Nightmare Before Graduation
Sian Davies for Nowhere Boys – The Trouble With Ben (Series 3, Episode 7)
BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD DRAMA SERIES
Emma Freeman for Secret City – The Watchers (Series 1, Episode 2)
Leah Purcell for Cleverman – Sun and Moon (Series 1, Episode 4)
Rowan Woods for Rake – (Series 4, Episode 6)
Tony Krawitz for The Kettering Incident – The Search (Series 1, Episode 3)
BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD DRAMA SERIAL
Arnie Custo for Home and Away Ep 6486
Danny Raco for Home and Away Ep 6395
Gary Conway for Neighbours Block 1458 Ep 7509
Geoffrey Nottage for Home and Away Ep 6417
BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD MINI SERIES
Geoff Bennett for Brock
Kevin Carlin for Molly
Robert Connolly for Barracuda
BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD COMEDY PROGRAM
Christiaan Van Vuuren and Connor Van Vuuren for Soul Mates (Series 2, Episode 4)
Jonathan Brough for Rosehaven (Series 1, Episode 8)
Jonathan Brough for The Family Law (Series 1, Episode 1)
Matthew Saville for Please Like Me – Burrito Bowl (Series 4, Episode 5)
Trent O’Donnell for The Letdown (Pilot episode)
BEST DIRECTION IN AN ONLINE COMEDY PROJECT
Cate McQuillen for Compost Rocks (Fabisode 4)
Christopher Benz for Little Acorns – She’s A Man! (Episode 2)
Damien Cassar for Lowering Awareness
BEST DIRECTION IN AN ONLINE DRAMA PROJECT
Amanda Jane for ReWriteYourStory – CAL
Christopher Benz for ReWriteYourStory – CONNOR
Kyle Portbury for Tell the World
Stuart Willis for Restoration
BEST DIRECTION IN COMMERCIAL CONTENT
Cassie De Colling for Foreign Correspondent, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Melbourne
Craig Melville for Air New Zealand – Summer Wonderland
Damien Toogood for United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) “The List”
Husein Alicajic for Samsung // Make Your Mark
Paul Middleditch for Nothing Brings People Together Like Lamb
BEST DIRECTION IN A MUSIC VIDEO
Matthew Chuang for Made of Fire Artist: Fire to the Stars
Mick Soiza for Umbrella Brain Artist: Marcus Blacke
Nicholas Carlton for Wanting Artist: Gordi
The 2017 ADG Awards will take place on Friday 5 May at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins. Tickets for the 2017 ADG Awards and the black tie gala dinner are now on sale and can be purchased here.
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