australian television information archive

The 2009 AFI Awards Ceremony was held on Saturday December 12th.

AFI Awards Ceremony

Best Film

• Balibo - John Maynard, Rebecca Williamson
• Beautiful Kate - Leah Churchill-Brown, Bryan Brown
• Blessed - Al Clark
• Mao's Last Dancer - Jane Scott
• Mary and Max - Melanie Coombs
• Samson & Delilah - Kath Shelper

Best Direction

• Balibo - Robert Connolly
• Beautiful Kate - Rachel Ward
• Mao's Last Dancer - Bruce Beresford
• Samson & Delilah - Warwick Thornton

Best Original Screenplay

• Cedar Boys - Serhat Caradee
• Mary and Max - Adam Elliot
• My Year Without Sex - Sarah Watt
• Samson & Delilah - Warwick Thornton

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Balibo - Robert Connolly, David Williamson
• Beautiful Kate - Rachel Ward
• Blessed - Andrew Bovell, Melissa Reeves, Patricia Cornelius, Christos Tsiolkas
• Mao's Last Dancer - Jan Sardi

Best Original Music Score

• Australia - David Hirschfelder, Felix Meagher, Baz Luhrmann, Angela Little
• Balibo - Lisa Gerrard
• Mao's Last Dancer - Christopher Gordon
• Samson & Delilah - Warwick Thornton

Best Lead Actor

• Anthony LaPaglia - Balibo 
• Ben Mendelsohn - Beautiful Kate
• Hugo Weaving - Last Ride
• Rowan McNamara - Samson & Delilah

Best Lead Actress

• Sophie Lowe - Beautiful Kate
• Frances O'Connor - Blessed
• Sacha Horler - My Year Without Sex
• Marissa Gibson - Samson & Delilah

Best Supporting Actor

• Brandon Walters - Australia
• Damon Gameau - Balibo
• Oscar Isaac - Balibo
• Bryan Brown - Beautiful Kate

Best Supporting Actress

• Bea Viegas - Balibo
• Maeve Dermody - Beautiful Kate
• Rachel Griffiths - Beautiful Kate
• Mitjili Gibson - Samson & Delilah

Best Television Drama Series

• East West 101, Season 2 - Kristine Wyld, Steve Knapman - SBS
• Packed to the Rafters - Jo Porter - Seven Network
• Satisfaction, Season 2 - Andrew Walker, Roger Simpson - Showcase
• Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities - Greg Haddrick, Brenda Pam - Nine Network

Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series

• 3 Acts of Murder - Sue Taylor - ABC1
• False Witness - Greg Haddrick, Peter Andrikidis - UKTV
• The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce - Nial Fulton - ABC1
• Saved - Michael McMahon, Tony Ayres - SBS

Best Direction In Television

• East West 101, Season 2 (Episode 13, Atonement) Peter Andrikidis - SBS
• False Witness (Episode 1) Peter Andrikidis - UKTV
• Review With Myles Barlow (Episode 1) Trent O'Donnell - ABC
• Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities (Episode 11, The Brotherhood) Grant Brown - Nine Network

Best Screenplay In Television

• 30 Seconds (Episode 4, Invisible Fault Lines) Tim Bullock, Justin Drape, Scott Nowell - Foxtel
• East West 101, Season 2 (Episode 13, Atonement) Michael Miller, Kristen Dunphy - SBS
• Review With Myles Barlow (Episode 1) Trent O'Donnell, Phil Lloyd - ABC
• Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities (Episode 11, The Brotherhood) Kris Mrksa - Nine Network

Best Lead Actor in Television Drama

• Robert Menzies - 3 Acts of Murder - ABC1
• Don Hany - East West 101, Season 2 - SBS
• Dougray Scott - False Witness - UKTV
• Roy Billing - Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities - Nine Network

Best Lead Actress in Television Drama

• Susie Porter - East West 101, Season 2 - SBS
• Rachael Blake - False Witness - UKTV
• Rebecca Gibney - Packed to the Rafters - Seven Network
• Asher Keddie - Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities - Nine Network

Best Guest or Supporting Actor in Television Drama

• Bille Brown - 3 Acts of Murder - ABC1
• Jeremy Lindsay Taylor - False Witness (Episode 2) - UKTV
• Richard Roxburgh - False Witness (Episode 2) - UKTV
• Damian de Montemas - Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities (Episode 11, The Brotherhood) - Nine Network

Best Guest or Supporting Actress in Television Drama

• Anni Finsterer - 3 Acts of Murder - ABC1
• Claire Forlani - False Witness (Episode 1) - UKTV
• Kathryn Beck - Scorched - Nine Network
• Kate Ritchie - Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities (Episode 4, Business As Usual) - Nine Network

Best Feature Length Documentary

• Bastardy - Philippa Campey, Amiel Courtin-Wilson, Lynn-Maree Milburn, Andrew de Groot
• The Choir - Chris Hilton, Michael Davie
• Glass: a portrait of Philip in twelve parts - Scott Hicks, Susanne Preissler
• Lionel - Lizzette Atkins

AFI Young Actor Award

• Brandon Walters - Australia
• Sebastian Gregory - Beautiful 
• Tom Russell - Last Ride
• Toby Wallace - Lucky Country
• Marissa Gibson - Samson & Delilah
• Rowan McNamara - Samson & Delilah

Byron Kennedy Award

• Ray Brown

News Limited Readers' Choice Award

• Mao's Last Dancer - Jane Scott

AFI International Award for Best Actor

• Russell Crowe, State of Play
• Martin Henderson, House, Network Ten
• Anthony LaPaglia, Without a Trace, Nine Network
• Guy Pearce, Bedtime Stories

AFI International Award for Best Actress

• Rose Byrne, Damages, Foxtel
• Toni Collette, United States of Tara, ABC1
• Melissa George, In Treatment, Foxtel
• Mia Wasikowska, In Treatment, Foxtel

AFI Highest Grossing Film Award

• Australia. Marc Wooldridge, Baz Luhrmann, G. Mac Brown, Catherine Knapman, Stuart Beattie, Ronald Harwood, Richard Flanagan

AFI Industry Awards (presented Friday, December 11)

Best Cinematography

• Balibo - Tristan Milani ACS
• Beautiful Kate - Andrew Commis
• Last Ride - Greig Fraser
• Samson & Delilah - Warwick Thornton

Best Editing

• Balibo - Nick Meyers ASE
• Blessed - Jill Bilcock ACE, ASE
• Mao's Last Dancer - Mark Warner
• Samson & Delilah - Roland Gallois

Best Sound

• Australia - Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Wayne Pashley MPSE, Guntis Sics
• Balibo - Sam Petty, Emma Bortignon, Phil Heywood, Ann Aucote
• Mao's Last Dancer - David Lee, Andrew Neil, Yulia Akerholt, Mark Franken, Roger Savage
• Samson & Delilah - Liam Egan, David Tranter, Robert Sullivan, Tony Murtagh,   Yulia Akerholt, Les Fiddess

Best Production Design

• Australia - Catherine Martin, Ian Gracie, Karen Murphy, Beverley Dunn
• Balibo - Robert Cousins
• Mao's Last Dancer - Herbert Pinter
• Mary and Max - Adam Elliot

Best Costume Design

• Australia - Catherine Martin, Eliza Godman
• Balibo - Cappi Ireland
• Lucky Country - Mariot Kerr
• Mao's Last Dancer - Anna Borghesi

AFI Members' Choice Award

• Australia - Baz Luhrmann, G - Mac Brown, Catherine Knapman
• Balibo - John Maynard, Rebecca Williamson
• Beautiful Kate - Leah Churchill-Brown, Bryan Brown
• Mao's Last Dancer - Jane Scott
• Mary and Max - Melanie Coombs
• Samson & Delilah - Kath Shelper

Best Children’s Television Drama

• The Elephant Princess - Jonathan M - Shiff, Joanna Werner - Network Ten
• Time Trackers - Sue Taylor - Seven Network

Best Children's Television Animation

• The Adventures of Charlotte and Henry - Paige Livingston - Seven Network
• Classic Tales - Noel Price - ABC
• Figaro Pho - Luke Jurevicius - ABC1
• Zeke's Pad - Avrill Stark, Delna Bhesania, Liz Scully, Leonard Terhoch - Seven Network

Best Light Entertainment Television Series

• The Gruen Transfer, Series 2 - Andrew Denton, Anita Jacoby, Jon Casimir, Debbie Cuell - ABC
• RocKwiz - Brian Nankervis, Ken Connor, Peter Bain-Hogg, Joe Connor - SBS
• Spicks and Specks - Anthony Watt - ABC

Best Performance in Television Comedy

• Robyn Butler - The Librarians, Series 2 - ABC
• Phil Lloyd - Review With Myles Barlow - ABC
• Kim Gyngell - Very Small Business - ABC1
• Wayne Hope - Very Small Business - ABC1

Best Television Comedy Series

• Chandon Pictures - Rob Carlton - Movie Network
• Lawrence Leung's Choose Your Own Adventure - Nathan Earl, Andy Nehl - ABC1
• Review With Myles Barlow - Dean Bates - ABC
• Very Small Business - Wayne Hope, Robyn Butler - ABC1

Outstanding Achievement in Television Screen Craft

• Luke Jurevicius - Figaro Pho - Creative Excellence

Best Direction in a Documentary

• Bastardy - Amiel Courtin-Wilson
• The Choir - Michael Davie
• First Australians (Episode 4, There Is No Other Law) - Rachel Perkins - SBS
• The Love Market - Shalom Almond - National Geographic

Best Cinematography in a Documentary

• Beyond Kokoda (Buying Time) - Stig Schnell, Shaun Gibbons, Brett Murphy, Ben Nunney - Foxtel
• Cracking the Colour Code (Episode 2, Making Colours) - Ian Batt, Vincent Fooy - SBS
• My Asian Heart - David Bradbury
• Salt - Murray Fredericks - ABC

Best Editing in a Documentary

• Bastardy - Bill Murphy, Jack Hutchings, Richard Lowenstein
• Cracking the Colour Code (Episode 2, Making Colours) - Lawrie Silvestrin - SBS
• How Kevin Bacon Cured Cancer - Zen Rosenthal - ABC
• Yes Madam, Sir - Megan Doneman, Annie Collins

Best Sound in a Documentary

• The Choir - Sam Hayward, Phil Judd, Felicity Fox, Alli Heynes, Phil Vail, David White
• Glass: a portrait of Philip in twelve parts - Stephen R - Smith, Peter Smith
• Intangible Asset Number 82 - Matthew Ferris, Michael Gissing, Andrew McGrath
• Lionel - Nick Batterham, Keith Thomas, Cezary Skubiszewski

Best Documentary Under One Hour

• The Love Market - Shalom Almond - National Geographic
• Salt - Michael Angus - ABC
• Solo - Jennifer Peedom - ABC1
• Tackling Peace - Marc Radomsky - Network Ten

Best Documentary Series

• Beyond Kokoda - Stig Schnell, Shaun Gibbons - Foxtel
• First Australians - Darren Dale, Rachel Perkins, Helen Panckhurst - SBS
• Once Bitten - Beth Frey, Janette Howe - SBS
• Voices From The Cape - David Selvarajah Vadiveloo, Anna Kaplan - ABC1

Best Short Animation Film

• The Cat Piano - Jessica Brentnall, Eddie White, Ari Gibson
• Chicken of God - Jodi Satya, Frank Woodley
• The Not-So-Great Eugene Green - Melanie Brunt, Michael Hill
• Reach - Luke Randall

Best Short Fiction Film

• Burn - Anna Kaplan, David Selvarajah Vadiveloo
• Liebermans In The Sky - Jessica Redenbach, Richard Vilensky
• Miracle Fish - Drew Bailey, Luke Doolan
• Water - Sarah Shaw, Corrie Jones

Best Screenplay in a Short Film

• Boxer - Michael Latham
• Liebermans In The Sky - Richard Vilensky
• Miracle Fish - Luke Doolan
• Water - Corrie Jones, Sarah Shaw, Ian Meadows

Outstanding Achievement in Short Fiction Film Screen Craft

• Andrew McLeod - Water - Cinematography

AFI Visual Effects Award

• Australia - Chris Godfrey, James E - Price, Andy Brown, Rob Duncan
• Death of the Megabeasts - Matt Drummond, Mike Dunn
• Plastic - Sandy Widyanata, Eric So, Matthew Mackereth, Christopher Jackson
• Scorched - Bertrand Polivka, Soren Jensen - Nine Network

AFI International Award for Excellence in Filmmaking

• Nathan McGuinness. Senior Visual Effects Supervisor.
  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Terminator Salvation,
  The Unborn,The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

AFI Outstanding Achievement Dinner (August)

AFI Raymond Longford Life Achievement Award

• Geoffrey Rush

AFI Award for Screen Content Innovation

• Forlorn Gaze. Sarah-Jane Woulahan
• Gallipoli: The First Day. Sam Doust, Meena Tharmarajah, Astrid Scott
• Scarygirl. Sophie Byrne, Nathan Jurevicius
• Scorched. Ellenor Cox, Marcus Gillezeau