Judges –
Shorts Australian/International: Greg Crofton (Critic – Channel Non Fiction), Chris Harris (Streaming Service – True Story)
Features – Australian: Gil Scrine (Distributor – Antidote Films), Judith Elrich (Filmmaker)
International Features: Glen Anderson (Filmmaker), Peter Krauz (Critic)
VR: James Beisel (VR Filmmaker), Lana Beisel (VR Filmmaker)
NOMINEES + WINNERS
Short Awards
Best International Short Documentary, Video Essay or Webseries
Requiem for a Whale
Miami Vice Incident
Testimony
Balloon Boy
Winner: Testimony
Best Australian Short Documentary, Video Essay or Webseries
Survivors of Wadjemup
Wire in Blood
Ink Train
Australian Mongrel
Winner: Australian Mongrel
Best Melbourne Short Documentary, Video Essay or Webseries
Diamanti
Every Line
Kampong Spirit
This Man’s Worth
Winner: Kampong Spirit
Best VR/Interactive Documentary
Cassava: The Root to Revival by David Gough
Murchison Falls: A Wildlife Adventure by Peter Van Apeldoorn
Do You See by Amal Zen
Batuan: Interactive by Robert Lemelson
Winner: Murchison Falls: A Wildlife Adventure by Peter Van Apeldoorn
Best Short Director – International
Miami Vice Incident
Balloon Boy
Testimony
Requiem for a Whale
Winner: Balloon Boy
Best Short Director – Australia
Nell O’Shea for Nine Years
Shadow in the Reeds by Tim Brown and Michael Bruce
Jackson Hayat for Crumble
Michael Naim for Retro Gamers
Winner: Nell O’Shea for Nine Years
Feature Awards
Best International Documentary
A Rising Fury
School Under Siege
Love Charlie
Show Business is My Life
Winner: A Rising Fury
Best Australian Documentary
Juanita Nielsen Now
The Horizon Behind Us
Freedom is Beautiful
Luku Ngarra: The Law of the Land
Winner: Freedom is Beautiful
Best Melbourne Documentary
Kombi Man
Dig Deeper
Belly of the Beast: A Torquay Story
Water for Birds
Winner: Water for Birds
Best Music Documentary
Annie Lennox
Energy: A Damo Suzuki Documentary
Cover Your Ears
Finding Her Beat
Winner: Finding Her Beat
Best Environmental Documentary
Downwind
An Invisible Extinction
Eat Bitter
Planet Soil
Winner: Downwind
Best Emerging Director – Australia
Jeff Bird for Kombi Man
Matty Hannon for The Road to Patagonia
Kym Stanton for The Trust Fall – Julian Assange
John Teague for Belly of the Beast: A Torquay Story
Winner: Kym Stanton for The Trust Fall – Julian Assange
Best Director – Australia
Angus McDonald – Freedom is Beautiful
Roberto Pettini – The Horizon Behind Me
Zanny Begg – Juanita Nielsen NOW
Sinem Saban – Luku Ngarra: The Law of the Land
Winner: Zanny Begg – Juanita Nielsen NOW
Best Director – International
Lesya Kalynska & Ruslan Batyskyi – A Rising Fury
Ian Ayres – Dream Girl: The making of Marilyn Monroe
Rebecca Halpin – Love Charlie: The Rise and Fall of Charlie Trotter
Mark Shapiro and Douglas Miller – Downwind
Winner: Lesya Kalynska & Ruslan Batyskyi – A Rising Fury
Documentary Photography Awards
Best International Documentary Photograph
Walkatjurra – Francisca Silva Bravo
Best Australian Documentary Photograph
Luku Ngärra: The Law of the Land – Sinem Saban
Best Documentary Photographer
The Horizon Behind Me – Roberto Pettini
Audience Choice
Kombi Man
Water for Birds
The Road to Patagonia
Freedom is Beautiful
Winner: The Road to Patagonia
Supreme Jury Prize Documentary Photograph
The Horizon Behind Me – Roberto Pettini
Supreme Jury Prize Short Documentary
Australian Mongrel
Kampong Spirit
Diamanti
Testimony
Winner: Australian Mongrel
Supreme Jury Prize Feature Documentary
Downwind
A Rising Fury
Freedom is Beautiful
Juanita Nielsen NOW
Winner: A Rising Fury
