Thomas M. Wright, Leah Purcell, Aaron Wilson, Sian Davies, Corrie Chen, and Emma Freeman are among the directorial talent recognised at the 2022 Australian Directors Guild Awards.
Thomas M Wright has been awarded Best Direction in a Narrative Feature Film (Budget AUD$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, while Best Direction in a Narrative Feature Film (Budget under $1M) went to Aaron Wilson.
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.
Full list of 2022 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
Visit https://www.adg.org.au/