AACTA Award for Best Direction

AACTA Award
Best Direction
AACTA Award; Best Direction
Country	Australia
Presented by	Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA)
First award	1971
Currently held by	Michael Gracey, Better Man (2024)
Website	http://www.aacta.org

The AACTA Award for Best Direction is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film and television."^[1] The award is presented at the annual AACTA Awards, which hand out accolades for achievements in feature film, television, documentaries and short films.^[2]

From 1969 to 2010, the category was presented by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), the Academy's parent organisation, at the annual Australian Film Institute Awards (known as the AFI Awards).^[3] When the AFI launched the Academy in 2011, it changed the annual ceremony to the AACTA Awards, with the current award being a continuum of the AFI Award for Best Direction.^[3]

The record for most wins is three, held by Baz Luhrmann, and ten other directors have won twice. The record for most nominations is seven, held jointly by Paul Cox and Bruce Beresford.

Winners and nominees

In the following table, the years listed correspond to the year of film release; the ceremonies are usually held the same year.^[A] The director in bold and in dark blue background have received a special award; those in bold and in yellow background have won a regular competitive award. Those that are neither highlighted nor in bold are the nominees. Within each year, the table lists the winning director first and then the other nominees.^[4]^[5]

Year	Director(s)	Film
1970s
1971	Peter Weir	Homesdale
1972	Tim Burstall	Stork
1973	Eric Porter	Marco Polo Junior Versus the Red Dragon
1974/5	John Power	Billy and Percy
1976	Fred Schepisi	The Devil's Playground
	Tim Burstall	End Play
	Bert Deling	Pure S
	Peter Weir	Picnic at Hanging Rock
1977	Bruce Beresford	Don's Party
	Chris Löfvén	Oz
	Philippe Mora	Mad Dog Morgan
	Henri Safran	Storm Boy
1978	Phillip Noyce	Newsfront
	John Duigan	Mouth to Mouth
	Fred Schepisi	The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
	Peter Weir	The Last Wave
1979	Gillian Armstrong	My Brilliant Career
	Donald Crombie	Cathy's Child
	George Miller	Mad Max
	Esben Storm	In Search of Anna
1980s
1980	Bruce Beresford	Breaker Morant
	John Honey	Manganinnie
	Stephen Wallace	Stir
	Simon Wincer	Harlequin
1981	Peter Weir	Gallipoli
	Bruce Beresford	The Club
	John Duigan	Winter of Our Dreams
	Claude Whatham	Hoodwink
1982	George Miller	Mad Max 2
	Paul Cox	Lonely Hearts
	Michael Pattinson	Moving Out
	Carl Schultz	Goodbye Paradise
1983	Carl Schultz	Careful, He Might Hear You
	Paul Cox	Man of Flowers
	Peter Weir	The Year of Living Dangerously
	Simon Wincer	Phar Lap
1984	Paul Cox	My First Wife
	Gil Brealey	Annie's Coming Out
	Ken Cameron	Fast Talking
	Sophia Turkiewicz	Silver City
1985	Ray Lawrence	Bliss
	Bill Bennett	A Street to Die
	Bob Ellis	Unfinished Business
	Glenda Hambly	Fran
1986	Nadia Tass	Malcolm
	Bruce Beresford	The Fringe Dwellers
	Paul Cox	Cactus
	George Ogilvie	Short Changed
1987	John Duigan	The Year My Voice Broke
	Gillian Armstrong	High Tide
	Bruce Myles, Michael Pattinson	Ground Zero
	Roger Scholes	The Tale of Ruby Rose
1988	Vincent Ward	The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey
	Pino Amenta	Boulevard of Broken Dreams
	Craig Lahiff	Fever
	Don McLennan	Mull
1989	Fred Schepisi	Evil Angels
	Paul Cox	Island
	Ben Lewin	Georgia
	Phillip Noyce	Dead Calm
1990s
1990	Ray Argall	Return Home
	Paul Cox	Golden Braid
	Jerzy Domaradzki	Struck by Lightning
	Stephen Wallace	Blood Oath
1991	Jocelyn Moorhouse	Proof
	Rolf de Heer	Dingo
	Jackie McKimmie	Waiting
	John Ruane	Death in Brunswick
1992	Baz Luhrmann	Strictly Ballroom
	Gillian Armstrong	The Last Days of Chez Nous
	Bruce Beresford	Black Robe
	Geoffrey Wright	Romper Stomper
1993	Jane Campion	The Piano
	Michael Jenkins	The Heartbreak Kid
	James Ricketson	Blackfellas
	Vincent Ward	Map of the Human Heart
1994	Rolf de Heer	Bad Boy Bubby
	Stephan Elliott	The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
	P. J. Hogan	Muriel's Wedding
	Alkinos Tsilimidos	Everynight ... Everynight
1995	Michael Rymer	Angel Baby
	Richard Franklin	Hotel Sorrento
	Margot Nash	Vacant Possession
	John Ruane	That Eye, the Sky
1996	Scott Hicks	Shine
	Paul Cox	Lust and Revenge
	Peter Duncan	Children of the Revolution
	Clara Law	Floating Life
1997	Bill Bennett	Kiss or Kill
	David Caesar	Idiot Box
	Chris Kennedy	Doing Time for Patsy Cline
	Samantha Lang	The Well
1998	Rowan Woods	The Boys
	Ana Kokkinos	Head On
	Craig Monahan	The Interview
	Rachel Perkins	Radiance
1999	Gregor Jordan	Two Hands
	Christina Andreef	Soft Fruit
	Bill Bennett	In a Savage Land
	John Curran	Praise
2000s
2000	Andrew Dominik	Chopper
	Pip Karmel	Me Myself I
	Jonathan Teplitzky	Better Than Sex
	Kate Woods	Looking for Alibrandi
2001	Ray Lawrence	Lantana
	David Caesar	Mullet
	Robert Connolly	The Bank
	Baz Luhrmann	Moulin Rouge!
2002	Ivan Sen	Beneath Clouds
	Tony Ayres	Walking on Water
	Rolf de Heer	The Tracker
	Phillip Noyce	Rabbit-Proof Fence
2003	Sue Brooks	Japanese Story
	Gregor Jordan	Ned Kelly
	Paul Moloney	Crackerjack
	Jonathan Teplitzky	Gettin' Square
2004	Cate Shortland	Somersault
	Khoa Do	The Finished People
	Jan Sardi	Love's Brother
	Alkinos Tsilimidos	Tom White
2005	Sarah Watt	Look Both Ways
	John Hillcoat	The Proposition
	Greg McLean	Wolf Creek
	Rowan Woods	Little Fish
2006	Peter Djigirr, Rolf de Heer	Ten Canoes
	Paul Goldman	Suburban Mayhem
	Clayton Jacobson	Kenny
	Ray Lawrence	Jindabyne
2007	Tony Ayres	The Home Song Stories
	Cherie Nowlan	Clubland
	Richard Roxburgh	Romulus, My Father
	Matthew Saville	Noise
2008	Elissa Down	The Black Balloon
	Peter Duncan	Unfinished Sky
	Nash Edgerton	The Square
	Dee McLachlan	The Jammed
2009	Warwick Thornton	Samson and Delilah
	Bruce Beresford	Mao's Last Dancer
	Robert Connolly	Balibo
	Rachel Ward	Beautiful Kate
2010s
2010	David Michôd	Animal Kingdom
	Julie Bertuccelli	The Tree
	Jane Campion	Bright Star
	Jeremy Sims	Beneath Hill 60
AACTA Awards
2011 (1st)	Justin Kurzel	Snowtown
	Daniel Nettheim	The Hunter
	Fred Schepisi	The Eye of the Storm
	Kriv Stenders	Red Dog
2012 (2nd)	Wayne Blair	The Sapphires
	Kieran Darcy-Smith	Wish You Were Here
	Cate Shortland	Lore
	Jonathan Teplitzky	Burning Man
2013 (3rd)	Baz Luhrmann	The Great Gatsby
	Kim Mordaunt	The Rocket
	Ivan Sen	Mystery Road
	The Turning Ensemble^[B]	The Turning
2014 (4th)	Jennifer Kent	The Babadook
	Rolf de Heer	Charlie's Country
	David Michôd	The Rover
	The Spierig Brothers	Predestination
2015 (5th)	George Miller	Mad Max: Fury Road
	Neil Armfield	Holding the Man
	Jocelyn Moorhouse	The Dressmaker
	Jeremy Sims	Last Cab to Darwin
2016 (6th)	Mel Gibson	Hacksaw Ridge
	Martin Butler, Bentley Dean	Tanna
	Rosemary Myers	Girl Asleep
	Ivan Sen	Goldstone
2017 (7th)	Garth Davis	Lion
	Cate Shortland	Berlin Syndrome
	Jeffrey Walker	Ali's Wedding
	Ben Young	Hounds of Love
2018 (8th)	Warwick Thornton	Sweet Country
	Simon Baker	Breath
	Bruce Beresford	Ladies in Black
	Joel Edgerton	Boy Erased
2019 (9th)	Jennifer Kent	The Nightingale
	Mirrah Foulkes	Judy and Punch
	Anthony Maras	Hotel Mumbai
	David Michôd	The King
2020s
2020 (10th)	Shannon Murphy	Babyteeth
	Natalie Erika James	Relic
	Justin Kurzel	True History of the Kelly Gang
	John Sheedy	H Is for Happiness
	Leigh Whannell	The Invisible Man
2021 (11th)	Justin Kurzel	Nitram
	Robert Connolly	The Dry
	Glendyn Ivin	Penguin Bloom
	Stephen Maxwell Johnson	High Ground
	Roderick MacKay	The Furnace
2022 (12th)	Baz Luhrmann	Elvis
	Hannah Barlow, Kane Senes	Sissy
	George Miller	Three Thousand Years of Longing
	Leah Purcell	The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson
	Thomas M. Wright	The Stranger
2023 (13th)	Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou	Talk to Me
	Jub Clerc	Sweet As
	Noora Niasari	Shayda
	Goran Stolevski	Of an Age
	Warwick Thornton	The New Boy
2024 (14th)	Michael Gracey	Better Man
	Colin Cairnes, Cameron Cairnes	Late Night with the Devil
	Adam Elliot	Memoir of a Snail
	George Miller	Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
	Nick Waterman	How to Make Gravy

Notes

A^ : From 1958-2010, the awards were held during the year of the films release. However, the 1974-75 awards were held in 1975 for films released in 1974 and 1975, and the first AACTA Awards were held in 2012 for films released in 2011.^[6]^[7]

B^ : The Turning Ensemble consists of the seventeen people who directed their individual segments in the film. They are: Jonathan auf der Heide, Tony Ayres, Simon Stone, Jub Clerc, Robert Connolly, Shaun Gladwell, Rhys Graham, Justin Kurzel, Yaron Lifschitz, Anthony Lucas, Claire McCarthy, Ian Meadows, Ashlee Page, Stephen Page, Warwick Thornton, Marieka Walsh, Mia Wasikowska and David Wenham.^[8]

References

^ "AACTA - The Academy". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
^ "AACTA - The Academy - The Awards". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Retrieved 4 July 2012.
^ ^a ^b "AACTA - The Academy - Background". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Retrieved 4 July 2012.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "AFI/AACTA - Winners & Nominees". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Retrieved 4 June 2012. Note: User must select years listed on page to view winners of that decade/year.
^
Additional winners and nominees references:
- French, Lisa; Poole, Mark (2009). Shining a Light: 50 Years of the Australian Film Institute. Australian Teachers of Media. p. 165. ISBN 1-876467-20-7.
- French, Lisa; Poole, Mark (2009). Shining a Light: 50 Years of the Australian Film Institute. Australian Teachers of Media. p. 166. ISBN 1-876467-20-7.
- French, Lisa; Poole, Mark (2009). Shining a Light: 50 Years of the Australian Film Institute. Australian Teachers of Media. p. 167. ISBN 1-876467-20-7.
- French, Lisa; Poole, Mark (2009). Shining a Light: 50 Years of the Australian Film Institute. Australian Teachers of Media. p. 168. ISBN 1-876467-20-7.
^ "AACTA - Past Winners - 1970-1979 - 1974-1975". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Retrieved 3 June 2012.
^ Bodey, Michael (8 November 2011). "Industry academy announces new awards". The Australian. News Limited (News Corporation). Retrieved 5 June 2012.
^ George, Sandy (23 March 2012). "Blanchett one of 17 directors behind The Turning". Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). Retrieved 14 January 2014.

External links

Official website of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts

[1] "AACTA - The Academy". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.

[2] "AACTA - The Academy - The Awards". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Retrieved 4 July 2012.

[background-3] "AACTA - The Academy - Background". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Retrieved 4 July 2012.^{[permanent dead link]}

[Winners-4] "AFI/AACTA - Winners & Nominees". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Retrieved 4 June 2012. Note: User must select years listed on page to view winners of that decade/year.

[Extra-5] Additional winners and nominees references:
French, Lisa; Poole, Mark (2009). Shining a Light: 50 Years of the Australian Film Institute. Australian Teachers of Media. p. 165. ISBN 1-876467-20-7.

French, Lisa; Poole, Mark (2009). Shining a Light: 50 Years of the Australian Film Institute. Australian Teachers of Media. p. 166. ISBN 1-876467-20-7.

French, Lisa; Poole, Mark (2009). Shining a Light: 50 Years of the Australian Film Institute. Australian Teachers of Media. p. 167. ISBN 1-876467-20-7.

French, Lisa; Poole, Mark (2009). Shining a Light: 50 Years of the Australian Film Institute. Australian Teachers of Media. p. 168. ISBN 1-876467-20-7.

[6] French, Lisa; Poole, Mark (2009). Shining a Light: 50 Years of the Australian Film Institute. Australian Teachers of Media. p. 165. ISBN 1-876467-20-7.

[7] French, Lisa; Poole, Mark (2009). Shining a Light: 50 Years of the Australian Film Institute. Australian Teachers of Media. p. 166. ISBN 1-876467-20-7.

[8] French, Lisa; Poole, Mark (2009). Shining a Light: 50 Years of the Australian Film Institute. Australian Teachers of Media. p. 167. ISBN 1-876467-20-7.

[9] French, Lisa; Poole, Mark (2009). Shining a Light: 50 Years of the Australian Film Institute. Australian Teachers of Media. p. 168. ISBN 1-876467-20-7.

[6] "AACTA - Past Winners - 1970-1979 - 1974-1975". Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). Retrieved 3 June 2012.

[7] Bodey, Michael (8 November 2011). "Industry academy announces new awards". The Australian. News Limited (News Corporation). Retrieved 5 June 2012.

[8] George, Sandy (23 March 2012). "Blanchett one of 17 directors behind The Turning". Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). Retrieved 14 January 2014.

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