Thomas M Wright has been awarded Best Direction in a Narrative Feature Film (Budget $1M or over) for the worldwide hit film The Stranger, with Leah Purcell awarded Best Direction in a Debut Feature Film for The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson and Best Direction in a Narrative Feature Film (Budget under $1M) awarded to Aaron Wilson for Little Tornadoes at the 2022 ADG Awards ceremony, held in Sydney today at The Actors Centre.
In television, women have dominated the winner’s list with Corrie Chen, Sian Davies and Emma Freeman taking out major awards.
Sian Davies won two 2022 ADG Awards – Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Comedy Series Episode for Spreadsheet, Episode 5 – Banjos and Dirty Duck and The Esben Storm Award for Best Direction in a Children’s TV or SVOD Drama Series Episode for Surviving Summer, Episode 7 – For Laynah.
Corrie Chen won the award for Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Mini-Series Episode New Gold Mountain, Episode 2 – Righteousness and Emma Freeman won the award for
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series Episode for The Newsreader, Episode 1 – Three, Two, One …
“It is fantastic to see this year’s ADG Awards reflect that diversity is now a reality amongst Australian directors. My congratulations to all the winners and my thanks to all those ADG nominees and members who celebrated our craft at today’s gala awards ceremony,” said ADG Executive Director Alaric McAusland.
The ADG Award for Best Direction in a Documentary Feature went to Alec Morgan and Tiriki Onus for their film Ablaze; Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Documentary Series Episode or Documentary One-Off was awarded to Rhian Skirving and John Harvey for Off Country; Best Direction in a Documentary Short Subject was awarded to Olivia Martin-McGuire for Freedom Swimmer; Best Direction in a Mobile-First Online Series Episode was awarded to Hannah McElhinney for TransAthletica, Episode 9 – Performance Testing; and Best Direction in Animation was awarded to Sarah Harper for Monkie Kid, Series 3.
Other ADG Award winners announced today were Liam Fitzgibbon for Best Direction in an Online Series Episode – Hot Department: Dark Web, Episode 4 – Sad Women, Brietta Hague for Best Direction in a Short Film – Baltasar, David Robinson-Smith for Best Direction in a Student Film- Mud Crab, Matisse Ruby for Best Direction in Commercial Content- Tabula Rasa, Tom Noakes for Best Direction in a Commercial Advertisement – Mattress FIRM: Spiral in the Diner, Riley Blakeway for Best Direction in a Music Video – Thom Pringle- Invincibl3 and Ben Joseph Andrews for Best Direction in an Interactive or Immersive Project for Gondwana.
As previously announced, The Cecil Holmes Award was awarded to Samantha Lang. The Cecil Holmes Award is the Australian Directors Guild’s highest honour. It goes to exceptional individuals who have advocated for Australian directors’ advanced craft and careers.
Veteran first assistant director Peter McLennan received The ‘JC’ John Clabburn Award awarded since 2021 to honour 1st AD ‘JC’ John Clabburn who passed away under tragic circumstances earlier that year. It is awarded annually to a 1st AD or any screen practitioner in the Director’s Department that ADG Members feel have consistently embodied JC’s spirit of collaboration and passionate support for the craft of directing over their careers.
LIST OF 2022 ADG AWARD WINNERS
Best Direction in a Narrative Feature Film (Budget $1M or over)
Thomas M Wright – The Stranger
Best Direction in a Narrative Feature Film (Budget under $1M)
Aaron Wilson – Little Tornadoes
Best Direction in a Short Film
Brietta Hague – Baltasar
Best Direction in a Student Film
David Robinson-Smith – Mud Crab
Best Direction in a Documentary Feature
Alec Morgan & Tiriki Onus – Ablaze
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Documentary Series Episode or Documentary One-Off
Rhian Skirving & John Harvey – Off Country
Best Direction in a Documentary Short Subject
Olivia Martin-McGuire – Freedom Swimmer
Best Direction in a Mobile-First Online Series Episode
Hannah McElhinney – TransAthletica, Episode 9 – Performance Testing
The Esben Storm Award for Best Direction in a Children’s TV or SVOD Drama Series Episode
Sian Davies – Surviving Summer, Episode 7 – For Laynah
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series Episode
Emma Freeman – The Newsreader, Episode 1 – Three, Two, One …
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Mini-Series Episode
Corrie Chen – New Gold Mountain, Episode 2 – Righteousness
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Comedy Series Episode
Sian Davies – Spreadsheet, Episode 5 – Banjos and Dirty Duck
Best Direction in an Online Series Episode
Liam Fitzgibbon – Hot Department: Dark Web, Episode 4 – Sad Women
Best Direction in Animation
Sarah Harper – Monkie Kid, Series 3
Best Direction in Commercial Content
Matisse Ruby – Tabula Rasa
Best Direction in a Commercial Advertisement
Tom Noakes – Mattress FIRM: Spiral in the Diner
Best Direction in a Music Video
Riley Blakeway- Thom Pringle – Invincibl3
Best Direction in an Interactive or Immersive Project
Ben Joseph Andrews – Gondwana
Best Direction in a Debut Feature Film
Leah Purcell – The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson
The ‘JC’ John Clabburn Award
Peter McLennan
The Cecil Holmes Award
Samantha Lang
