By Travis Johnson
Lion director Garth Davis won Best Direction of a Feature Film at the Australian Director’s Guild awards in Melbourne on Friday, beating out a strong field of contenders including Simon Stone (The Daughter), Ben Young (Hounds of Love), Craig Boreham (Teenage Kicks) and Jonathan Leahy (Skin Deep).
This is just the latest of Lion’s string of successes, with Davis’s feature debut breaking box office records to become the fifth-largest grossing Australian film of all time.
Over in documentary land, Best Direction in a Documentary Feature Film went to Dan Jackson, for In the Shadow of the Hill, while Pete Gleeson received High Commendation for his work in Hotel Coolgardie.
For television, Kevin Carlin won Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Mini Series for Molly; Emma Freeman won Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series for Secret City – The Watchers (Series 1, Episode 2); Matthew Saville won Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Comedy Program for Please Like Me – Burrito Bowl (Series 4, Episode 5); and Gary Conway won Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Serial for Neighbours (Episode 7509).
And the full winners are:
BEST DIRECTION IN A FEATURE FILM
Garth Davis for Lion
BEST DIRECTION IN A SHORT FILM
Luci Schroder for Slapper
BEST DIRECTION IN A STUDENT FILM
Meaghan Palmer for Tasty
Morgan Healy for Disabused
BEST DIRECTION IN A DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
Dan Jackson for In the Shadow of the Hill
BEST DIRECTION IN A DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Sally Aitken for Streets of Your Town
BEST DIRECTION IN A DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
Bentley Dean, Martin Butler and Liz Jackson for A Sense of Self
ESBEN STORM AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION IN A CHILDREN’S TV OR SVOD DRAMA
Robyn Butler for Little Lunch Special: The Nightmare Before Graduation
BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD DRAMA SERIES
Emma Freeman for Secret City – The Watchers (Series 1, Episode 2)
BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD DRAMA SERIAL
Gary Conway for Neighbours Block 1458 Ep 7509
BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD MINI SERIES
Kevin Carlin for Molly
BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD COMEDY PROGRAM
Matthew Saville for Please Like Me – Burrito Bowl (Series 4, Episode 5)
BEST DIRECTION IN AN ONLINE COMEDY PROJECT
Damien Cassar for Lowering Awareness
BEST DIRECTION IN AN ONLINE DRAMA PROJECT
Christopher Benz for ReWriteYourStory – CONNOR
BEST DIRECTION IN COMMERCIAL CONTENT
Craig Melville for Air New Zealand – Summer Wonderland
BEST DIRECTION IN A MUSIC VIDEO
Matthew Chuang for Made of Fire Artist: Fire to the Stars
THE MICHAEL CARSON AWARD
Daina Reid
THE CECIL HOLMES AWARD
Courtney Gibson
THE ADG INNOVATION AWARD
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