Shannon Murphy was the big winner at today’s Australian Directors’ Guild (ADG) Awards, recognised for both her feature debut Babyteeth and for her work on Killing Eve.
Murphy won both Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget $1M+) for the former, and Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series for the later, recognising her work on the third season’s fifth episode.
It caps off a long successful run for Babyteeth, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2019, where star Toby Wallace won the Venice Film Festival Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young actor. Released theatrically last year, the film won nine AACTA Awards, including Best Film and Best Director for Murphy.
Greta Lee Jackson and Nina Oyama hosted the ADG Award ceremony in Sydney today, with an accompanying live stream for those unable to attend. The mood in the room was jovial, with the guild also celebrating its 40th year and a week of policy wins.
Among the afternoons other honourees was up-and-comer Thomas Wilson-White, awarded Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget under $1M) for his debut The Greenhouse, and Christiaan van Vuuren, who took home Best Direction in a Movie Made for TV or SVOD Award for the film A Sunburnt Christmas.
Fresh from winning a Rose d’Or award earlier this week, Wayne Blair and Nel Minchin were recognised with Best Direction in a Documentary Feature for Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra.
Other doco winners included Laurence Billiet, winner of Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Documentary Series Episode or Documentary One-Off (TV one-hour) for Freeman and Jaina Kalifa and Amelia Paxman, co-directors of Lost Contact, who won the ADG Award for Best Direction in a Documentary Short Subject (Under 45 mins).
Further television winners included Claire McCathy, recognised with Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Miniseries Episode for The Luminaries and Max Miller, winning Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Comedy Program for Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun.
Bluey has also earned yet another prize via Richard Jeffrey, who snared Best Direction in a Children’s TV or SVOD Drama Program Episode for his work on the Sleepytime episode.
David Gould took home Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Serial episode yet again, for Home and Away episode 7591.
A special 1ST AD Award was presented posthumously to ‘JC’ John Clabburn who died earlier this year.
“After the difficulties of the past two years, the opportunity to celebrate in person with our nominated and award-winning directors, while also welcoming international and interstate guests via live streaming online and in-cinema, was warmly welcomed by Australia’s screen community. My congratulations to all the directors whose work has been acknowledged today,” said ADG executive director Alaric McAusland.
The full list of winners:
Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget $1M)
Shannon Murphy – Babyteetch
Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget under $1M)
Thomas Wilson-White – The Greenhouse
Best Direction in a Short Film
Cloudy Rhodes – Beautiful They
Best Direction in a Student Film
Andréas Giannopoulos – Friends of Mine
Best Direction in a Documentary Feature
Wayne Blair & Nel Minchin – Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Documentary Series Episode or Documentary One-Off (TV one-hour)
Laurence Billiet – Freeman
Best Direction in a Documentary Short Subject (Under 45 mins)
Jaina Kalifa and Amelia Paxman – Lost Contact
Best Direction in a Movie Made for TV or SVOD
Christiaan Van Vuuren – A Sunburnt Christmas
The Esben Storm Award for Best Direction in a Children’s TV or SVOD Drama Program Episode
Richard Jeffery – Bluey – Sleepytime
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series episode
Shannon Murphy – Killing Eve, Series 3 Episode 5
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Serial episode
David Gould – Home and Away – E7591
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Miniseries Episode
Claire McCarthy – The Luminaries – E2
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Comedy Program episode
Max Miller – Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun – S1 E1
Best Direction in a Web/Online Drama Series Episode
Hannah Lehmann – Two Sides – S2 E8
Best Direction in a Web/Online Comedy Series Episode
Henry Stone – A Life in Questions: Wisdom School with Aaron Chen
Best Direction in an Animation Project
Jake Duczynski – Cooked
Best Direction in Commercial Content
Stef Smith – Shower Talk with Celeste Barber
Best Direction in a Commercial Advertisement
Sanjay De Silva – Flybuys: Give a Flybuys
Best Direction in a Music Video
· Chloe de Brito – ‘Keep It Up’ by Sonny Grin
Best Direction in an Interactive or Immersive Title
· Aaron Wilson – IOPU