By Charlotte Willis
Director David Michôd has won the Australian Directors Guild Awards’ highest accolade for his debut feature film Animal Kingdom.
It follows the film’s success at this year's Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Jury Prize before going on to take almost $5 million at the Australian box office.
The film is currently playing in the US where it has taken more than $US800,000 and achieved largely positive reviews.
David Michôd with his award
The ADG awards were presented in Sydney last night at the Astral Restaurant in the Star City complex.
Michôd also won a second award with Jennifer Peedom for best direction in a documentary for their work on Solo.
Three achievement awards were also handed out last night: director Tony Tilse (Underbelly and East of Everything) picked up the Michael Carson Award for Excellence in TV Drama Production; Chris Webb (who worked on The Boys Are Back) received the First Assistant Director’s Award; and documentary maker Bob Connolly received the Outstanding Achievement Award for ‘a body of work in any genre’.
Connolly also received a standing ovation on the night.
John Safran and Bob Connolly
Meanwhile, it was also announced last night that major international television conference INPUT will be staged in Australia for the first time in 2012 in Sydney.
The ADG will also hold its conference in Adelaide next year for the first time alongside the BigPond Adelaide Film Festival and the Australian International Documentary Conference.
The full results from the ADG Awards were:
Best Direction in a Feature Film
David Michôd: Animal Kingdom
Best Direction in a Television Commercial
Tim Bullock: Nothing Soft Gets In (Toyota)
Direction in an Original Online Program
Clayton Jacobson: Mordy Koots
Best Direction in a Cross Platform Interactive Project
Marcus Gillezeau: Storm Surfers: The Hunt for the Biggest Waves in the World
Best Direction in a Music Clip
Craig Melville Northcote: So Hungover .The Bedroom Philosopher
Highly commended: The Glue Society Misfit – Bumblebeez
Best Direction in a Student Film
Ariel Kleiman: Deeper Than Yesterday
Best Direction in a Short Film
Corrie: Jones Water
Best Direction in a Documentary (Stand Alone)
Jennifer Peedom / David Michôd: Solo
Best Direction in a Documentary Series
Nick Torrens Liberal Rule: The Politics That Changed Australia
Best Direction in a Documentary Feature
Gillian Armstrong: Love, Lust and Lies
Best Direction in an Animation Program
Jean Camden Dirtgirlworld: Treasure
Best Direction in a Television Drama Mini-Series
Steve Jodrell: The Circuit, Series 2, Episode 1: Sorry Business
Best Direction in a TV Drama Serial
Jovita O’Shaughnessy: Neighbours, Episode: 5861
Best Direction in a TV Comedy Series
Tony Rogers: Wilfred II, Episode 7: Dogstar
Best Direction in a Television Reality / Light Entertainment Program
Paul Drane: Rockwiz, Episode 101
Best Direction in a Television Children’s Program
Jeffrey Walker: Dance Academy: Behind Barres
Best Direction in a Television Drama Series
Stuart McDonald: Tangle, Series 1 Episode 9
GRASS (Green awareness encouragement award)
Cate McQuillen: Dirtgirlworld
Highly commended: Cathy Henkel: The Burning Season