The Australian Directors’ Guild (ADG) has unveiled the nominations for this year’s ADG Awards, with George Miller and Robert Connolly among those securing nods.
Set to be held at The Astor Theatre in Melbourne on November 22, the ceremony will recognise directors across 19 categories, spanning features, television, music video, and commercial content.
Miller (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) and Connolly (Force of Nature) are nominated alongside Kyle Portbury (The Hopeful) and Paul Middleditch (Uproar) in the Best Direction of a Feature Film (Budget $1.5 M or over).
Contending the Best Direction of a Feature Film (Budget under $1.5 M) award are Haydn Butler (Home Kills), Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen (You’ll Never Find Me), Dane McCusker (The Big Dog), and Timothy Despina Marshall (In the Room Where He Waits).
Butler, Bell, and Allen are also up for Best Direction of a Debut Feature with Daniel Fenech (The Blind Sea) and Natalie Bailey (Audrey).
Sarah Hickey was the best represented with three nominations, recognised for Best Direction of a Children’s Series Episode, Best Direction of Commercial Content, and Best Direction of a Commercial Advertisement.
Find more information about the awards here.
The full list of nominees is below:
The Esben Storm Award for Best Direction of a Children’s Series Episode
Sarah Hickey – Crazy Fun Park S1 E4 – Remember Me
Craig Irvin –The Spooky Files S1 E5 – Welcome to Lake Tranquillity
Rosemary Myers – Beep and Mort S2 E2 – Today! The Musical
Sian Davies – Surviving Summer S2 E1 – Selection
Nina Buxton- Planet Lulin S1 E7 – Hair Raiser
Best Direction of a Comedy Series Episode
Robyn Butler and Wayne Hope – Colin From Accounts S2 E5 – Waterfall
Helena Brooks – Population: 11 S1 E10 – Like Father, Like Son
Trent O’Donnell –Population: 11 S1 E1 – Outback UFO Tours
Alyssa McClelland – Sex Education S4 E6
Best Direction of Online Shortform
Nash Edgerton – Far Enough – Vote Yes
Ryan Cauchi – Greystanes – Chapter 09
Jemma Cotter –I’m So Sorry For Your Loss S1 E3 – Dead Ringer
Kaius Potter – Fluff – Before The Mirror
Jesse Vogelaar – Ruby Rai P.I. S1 E2 – Gobbo & Chi Chi
Best Direction of Online Longform
Liam Fitzgibbon – Descent S1 E4 – Get Busy Livin’ or Get Busy Eel
Jessica Smith – Videoland S1 E1 & E2
Aimée-Lee Xu Hsien – Pleasant Avenue S1 E2 – Mr Masala
Monique Terry and Abby Gallaway –Touch S1
Joanna Beveridge Shippers S1 E7 – O K-Drama
Best Direction of an Interactive or Immersive Project
Simon Croker and Rosie Pavlovic – David’s Dead!!
Logan Mucha – A Beat To Hold Back The Dawn
Ben Joseph Andrews and Emma Roberts – Turbulence: Jamais Vu
Best Direction of a Music Video
James Chappell – Stephen Sanchez: Baby Blue Bathing Suit
Mick Soiza – Semiiré: Decisions
Kyle Caulfield – Allday, Cubsport: Miss You Still
Cameron Zayec – Witchgrinder: Queen of Sin
Best Direction of Commercial Content
Sarah Hickey – Monster & Bear: The Perfect Brief
Tony Walsh – Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute: To Keep A Heart Beating
Tony Walsh – NRL: Dolphin Smart!
Hossein Khodabandehloo – Public Transport Victoria: Hi Vis Humanity – Transport Workers are People Too
Best Direction of a Commercial Advertisement
Michael Spiccia – Amazon Prime: Concrete Jungle
Tim Bullock – AAMI: Athletes In The Making
Sarah Hickey – FIFA Women’s World Cup Trailer 2023
Aislinn Lowe – Google: Meet Google Demand Gen
Tom Noakes – Apple: Swoop
Best Direction of a Student Film
Lucien Perry Hiraeth
Isabella Andronos Under the Water
Lotte Sweeney – Bottleneck
Chloe Kemp – Say
Veniamin Gialouris – Gorgo
Best Direction of a Short Film
Nick Russell – Favourites
Lucy Coleman – Lean In
Will Suen and Sejon Im – Sweet Juices
Annelise Hickey – Hafekasi
Nick Lacey and Nathan Lacey – Die Bully Die
Best Direction of an Animation
Alexs Stadermann – 200% Wolf
Tania Vincent and Ricard Cussó – The Sloth Lane
Best Direction of a Short Documentary
Gianna Mazzeo – The History of the Carabiner
Brietta Hague – Compass S39 E10 – Not In My Name
Patrick Abboud – Gayrabia
Ella Wright – Tee Ken Ng
Best Direction of a Documentary Series Episode or One-Off
Emma Watts – Last Chance To Save A Life
Nel Minchin –The Way We Wore S1 E1 – The Media
Serge Ou – Runn
Best Direction of a Drama Series Episode
Jeffrey Walker –The Artful Dodger S1 E8 – Untapped Potential
Fadia Abboud –House of Gods S1 E5 – Lament
Adam Murfet and Jessie Oldfield – Heartbreak High S2 E8 – Boys Don’t Cry
Leticia Cáceres – Erotic Stories S1 E1 – Philia
Emma Freeman – Fake S1 E5
Best Direction of a Miniseries Episode
Peter Salmon – After The Party S1
Bonnie Moir – Exposure S1 E5
Glendyn Ivin – The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart S1 E1 – Black Fire Orchid
Tig Terera – Swift Street S1 E1 – Thank You Elsie
Bharat Nalluri – Boy Swallows Universe S1 E1 – Boy Smells Rat
Best Direction of a Debut Feature
Haydn Butler – Home Kills
Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen –You’ll Never Find Me
Daniel Fenech –The Blind Sea
Natalie Bailey – Audrey
Best Direction of a Documentary Feature
Frances Elliott and Samantha Marlowe – Renee Gracie: Fireproof
Jenny Hicks – Dale Frank – Nobody’s Sweetie
James Bradley –Welcome to Babel
Gracie Otto – Otto by Otto
Best Direction of a Feature Film (Budget under $1.5 M)
Haydn Butler – Home Kills
Indianna Bell and Josiah Allen – You’ll Never Find Me
Dane McCusker –The Big Dog
Timothy Despina Marshall – In the Room Where He Waits
Best Direction of a Feature Film (Budget $1.5 M or over)
Paul Middleditch –Uproar
Robert Connolly – Force of Nature
George Miller – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Kyle Portbury –The Hopeful