australian television information archive

The Award Ceremony was held in Melbourne on November 21, 2003

Nominations for Feature Films

Best Film

• Alexandra's Project - Julie Ryan, Domenico Procacci
• Gettin' Square - Martin Fabinyi, Tim White, Trish Lake
• Japanese Story - Sue Maslin, Sue Brooks, Alison Tilson
• The Rage in Placid Lake - Marian Macgowan

Best Foreign Film

• Bowling for Columbine - Charles Bishop, Jim Czarnecki, Michael Donovan, Kathleen Glynn, Michael Moore
• Lord Of The Rings: Two Towers - Peter Jackson, Barnie M. Osborne, Francis Walsh
• The Hours - Robert Fox, Scott Rudin
• Whale Rider - John Barnett, Frank Hübner, Tim Sanders

Best Direction

• Crackerjack - Paul Moloney
• Gettin' Square - Jonathan Teplitzky
• Japanese Story - Sue Brooks
• Ned Kelly - Gregor Jordan

Best Original Screenplay

• Crackerjack - Mick Molloy, Richard Molloy
• Gettin' Square - Chris Nyst
• Japanese Story - Alison Tilson
• Travelling Light - Kathryn Millard

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Blurred - Stephen Davis, Kier Shorey
• Ned Kelly - John Michael McDonaugh
• The Rage in Placid Lake - Tony McNamara
• Teesh and Trude - Vanessa Lomma

Best Actress in a Leading Role

• Helen Buday - Alexandra's Project
• Rose Byrne - The Rage in Placid Lake
• Toni Collette - Japanese Story
• Susie Porter - Teesh and Trude

Best Actor in a Leading Role

• Heath Ledger - Ned Kelly
• Timothy Spall - Gettin' Square
• Gotaro Tsunashima - Japanese Story
• David Wenham - Gettin' Square

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

• Sacha Horler - Travelling Light
• Melanie Griffith - The Night We Called It A Day
• Miranda Richardson - The Rage in Placid Lake
• Helen Thomson - Gettin' Square

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

• David Ngoombujarra - Black and White
• David Field - Gettin' Square
• Mitchell Butel - Gettin' Square
• Orlando Bloom - Ned Kelly

Best Cinematography

• Gettin' Square - Garry Phillips
• Japanese Story - Ian Baker
• Ned Kelly - Oliver Stapleton BSC
• Travelling Light - Tristan Milani ACS

Best Editing

• Alexandra's Project - Tania Nehme
• Gettin' Square - Ken Sallows ASE
• Japanese Story - Jill Bilcock
• Ned Kelly - Jon Gregory ACE

Best Original Music Score

• Alexandra's Project - Graham Tardif
• Gettin' Square - Chit Chat Von Loopin Stab, 3KShort
• Japanese Story - Elizabeth Drake
• Travelling Light - Richard Vella

Best Production Design

• Gettin' Square - Nicholas McCallum
• Japanese Story - Paddy Reardon
• Ned Kelly - Steven Jones-Evans
• The Night We Called It A Day - Michael Philips

Best Costume Design

• Black and White - Annie Marshall
• Gettin' Square - Jackline Sassine
• Ned Kelly - Anna Borghazi
• The Night We Called It A Day - Emily Seresin

Best Sound

• Alexandra's Project - James Currie, Andrew Plain, Nada Mikas, Rory McGregor
• Gettin' Square - John Schiefelbein, Antony Gray, Ian McLoughlin
• Japanese Story - Livia Ruzic, Peter Grace, Peter Smith
• Ned Kelly - Gary Wilkins, Colin Miller AMPS, Adrian Rhodes, Chris Burden

Nominations for Non-Feature Films

Best Documentary (awarded to Producer)

• Painting With Light in a Dark World - Renata Schuman
• Silent Storm - Peter Butt
• The Original Mermaid - Ian Collie
• Wildness - Michael McMahon

Best Short Fiction Film (awarded to Director)

• Cracker Bag - Glendyn Ivin
• Preservation - Sofya Gollan
• Roy Höllsdotter Live - Matthew Saville
• The Visitor - Dan Castle

Best Short Animation Film (awarded to Director)

• Cane Toad - What Happened to Baz? - David Clayton, Andrew Silke
• Harvie Krumpet - Adam Elliot
• Hello - Jonathan Nix
• Mother Tongue - Susan Kim

Best Achievement in Direction in a Documentary

• Love Letters from A War - Wain Fimeri
• Painting With Light in a Dark World - Sascha Ettinger-Epstein
• Silent Storm - Peter Butt
• Wildness - Scott Milwood

Best Screenplay in a Short Fiction Film

• Cold Turkey - Steven McGregor
• Cracker Bag - Glendyn Ivin
• Preservation - Sofya Gollan
• The Rouseabout - Scott Pickett

Best Achievement in Cinematography in a Non-Feature Film

• Cracker Bag - Greig Fraser
• Silent Storm - Calvin Gardiner and Peter Butt
• The Navigators - Baudin v Flinders - Klaus Toft
• The Projectionist - Anthony Jennings

Best Achievement in Sound in a Non-feature Film

• Hello - Jonathan Nix
• Silent Storm - Jullian Ellingworth
• The Navigators - Baudin v Flinders - Doran Kippen, Mark Street and Cameron Davies
• The Projectionist - Paul Charlier, Ian McLoughlin

Best Achievement in Editing in a Non-feature Film

• Cracker Bag - Jack Hutchings
• Roy Höllsdotter Live - Geoff Hitchins
• The Original Mermaid - Sally Fryer
• Painting with Light in a Dark World - Rolland Gallois

Open Craft Award in a Non-feature Film

• Cold Turkey (for Acting) - John Moore
• Love Letters From a War (for Dramatisation) - Wain Fimeri (director)
• Preservation (for Production and Costume Design) - Margot Wilson, Elizabeth Mary Moore
• The Brotherhood (for Excellence in Research and Innovative Story-Telling) - Terry Carlyon

Nominations for Television Drama

Best Television Drama Series

• Grass Roots - John Eastway
• MDA - Denny Lawrence
• Stingers - John Wilde, Roger Le Mesurier and Roger Simpson
• The Secret Life of Us - Amanda Higgs

Best Telefeature Or Mini-Series

• After the Deluge - Richard Keddie, Andrew Knight and Andrew Wiseman
• Black Jack - Nick Murray and Sally Ayre-Smith
• The Postcard Bandit - Matt Carroll
• The Shark Net - Sue Taylor

Best Comedy Series, Sitcom or Sketch

• Big Bite - Michael Horrocks
• CNNNN - Mark Fennessy and Andrew Denton
• John Safran's Music Jamboree - Selin Yaman and John Safran
• Kath & Kim - Gina Riley, Jane Turner and Mark Ruse

Best Light Entertainment Series

• Enough Rope with Andrew Denton - Andrew Denton and Anita Jacoby
• Micallef Tonight - Shaun Micallef, Todd Abbott, Margaret Bashfield
• The Fat - Damian Davis and Nick Price
• The Glass - House Ted Robinson

Best Children's Television Drama

• Bootleg - Ewan Burnett
• Don't Blame The Koalas - Noel Price and Dennis Kiely
• Out There - Michael Bourchier
• Worst Best Friends - Sue Seeary

Best Direction In Television

• After the Deluge - Brendan Maher
• Bootleg (Ep 2) - Ian Gilmour
• Grass Roots ('By-Election') - Peter Andrikidis
• Out There ('Reilly Had a Little Goat') - Stephen Johnson

Best Screenplay In Television

• After the Deluge - Andrew Knight
• CNNNN (Ep 7) - Chris Taylor, Julian Morrow and Charles Firth
• Grass Roots ('By Election') - Geoffrey Atherden
• MDA ('Crossing the Line') - Bill Garner

Best Actor In A Leading Role In A Television Drama or Comedy

• Ray Barrett - After the Deluge
• Shane Bourne - MDA
• Geoff Morrell - Grass Roots
• Glenn Robbins - Kath & Kim

Best Actress In A Leading Role In A Television Drama or Comedy

• Jane Turner - Kath & Kim
• Angie Milliken - MDA
• Claudia Karvan - The Secret Life of Us
• Deborah Mailman - The Secret Life of Us

Best Actor In A Supporting Or Guest Role In A Television Drama or Comedy

• John Clayton - Grass Roots ('By-Election')
• Francis Greenslade - Welcher & Welcher
• Samuel Johnson - After the Deluge
• Damien Richardson - The Secret Life Of Us ('The Day No Trumpets Sounded')

Best Actress In A Supporting Or Guest Role In A Television Drama or Comedy

• Essie Davis - After the Deluge
• Maggie Dence - Always Greener ('Understanding The Cry')
• Sacha Horler - Grass Roots ('Art')
• Magda Szubanski - Kath & Kim

AFI Open Craft Award In A Television Drama

• After the Deluge - Cezary Skubiszewski for Original Music
• Big Bite - Peta Hastings, Karchi Maygar and Natalie Vincentich for Creative Make-Up
• Bootleg - Craig Barden ACS for Cinematography
• John Safran's Music Jamboree - John Safran for Original and Innovative Programme Concept

Other Awards

Young Actors Award

• Emily Browning - After The Deluge
• Liam Hess - Don't Blame the Koalas
• Mason Richardson - Teesh and Trude

Longford Life Achievement Award

• Ted Robinson

Byron Kennedy Award

• Dion Beebe A.C.S.

AFI Screenwriting Prize

• Alison Tilson

Global Achievement Award

• Geoffrey Rush