Nominations for this year’s Australian Directors’ Guild (ADG) Awards are shared amongst the likes of Wayne Blair, Shannon Murphy, Daniel Nettheim, Tennika Smith, and Jonathan Brough, who have all scored two nods each.
Murphy is one of two women included in the category for Best Direction in a Feature Film for Babyteeth, joining Unjoo Moon (I Am Woman) in a field that also includes Seth Larney (2067), Maziar Lahooti (Below), and Robert Connolly (The Dry).
She also gets the nod for Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series episode for Killing Eve (Series 3, Episode 5), where she will compete against fellow double nominee Nettheim, who features for Halifax: Retribution (Series 1 Episode 7), and is also up for Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Miniseries Episode for Line of Duty (Series 6 Episode 1).
Blair is up for Best Direction in a Feature Documentary with co-director Nel Minchin for Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra, alongside Catherine Dwyer (Brazen Hussies), Christopher Amos (Hating Peter Tatchell), Matthew Walker (I’m Wanita), and Kriv Stenders (Slim & I), while also vying for Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series episode for Mystery Road (Series 2 Episode 4).
The other nominees for Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series are Jocelyn Moorhouse for Wakefield (Series 1 Episode 8), Nash Edgerton for Mr Inbetween, Series 3 Episode 1, and Gracie Otto for Bump (Series 1 Episode 6).
Also well represented in the television categories is Smith, who has been recognised for Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Serial episode for episodes of Neighbours and The Heights; and Brough, who has two entries in the Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Comedy Program episode with Rosehaven and Aftertaste.
Winners across 20 categories will be announced at a gala luncheon ceremony on Friday, December 3 at the Actor’s Centre in Leichhardt, Sydney.
ADG executive director Alaric McAusland said the nominees reflected the breadth and depth of Australian directorial talent.
“The ADG Awards received a record number of nominations this year from our members – up 50 per cent on the previous year,” he said.
Tickets to the awards ceremony will be available next week.
The full list of nominees are:
Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget $1M or over)
- Seth Larney – 2067
- Shannon Murphy – Babyteeth
- Maziar Lahooti – Below
- Robert Connolly – The Dry
- Unjoo Moon – I Am Woman
- Glendyn Ivin – Penguin Bloom
Best Direction in a Feature Film (Budget under $1M)
- Serhat Caradee – A Lion Returns
- David O’Donnell – Under My Skin
- Thomas Wilson – White The Greenhouse
- Catherine Hill – Some Happy Day
- Michael Bentham – Disclosure
Best Direction in a Short Film
- Cloudy Rhodes – Beautiful They
- Jordan Giusti – Grevillea
- Lucy Knox – Hot Mother
- Alisha Hnatjuk – Jean
- Jasmin Tarasin – The Story of Lee Ping
Best Direction in a Student Film
- Mariella S. Solano – Alba
- Stephanie Begg – Echo Pines
- Andréas Giannopoulos – Friends of Mine
- Marko Cvijanovic – Kafana
- Jenny Hicks – The Stranger
Best Direction in a Documentary Feature
- Catherine Dwyer – Brazen Hussies
- Wayne Blair & Nel Minchin – Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra
- Christopher Amos – Hating Peter Tatchell
- Matthew Walker – I’m Wanita
- Kriv Stenders – Slim & I
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Documentary Series Episode or Documentary One-Off (TV one-hour)
- Laurence Billiet – Freeman
- Cathy Henkel and Sam Lara – Laura’s Choice
- Cian O’Clery – Love on the Spectrum
- Nial Fulton – Revelation
- Tosca Looby – See What You Made Me Do
Best Direction in a Documentary Short Subject (Under 45 mins)
- Rachel Lane – Faithfully Me
- Derek Ho – Forgiveness Day
- Jaina Kalifa and Amelia Paxman – Lost Contact
- Sophie Raymond – Recorder Queen
- AP Pobjoy – Why Did She Have to Tell the World?
Best Direction in a Movie Made for TV or SVOD
- Christiaan Van Vuuren – A Sunburnt Christmas
- Chrys Phillips – Madison and the Happiness Jar
- Rosie Lourde – Romance on the Menu
Best Direction in a Children’s TV or SVOD Drama Program Episode
- Richard Jeffery – Bluey – Sleepytime
- Peter Andrikidis – The New Legends of Monkey
- Hayley MacFarlane – Dive Club
- Darren Ashton – Hardball – Staties!
- Guy Edmonds – Hardball – You’re A Star
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series episode
- Shannon Murphy – Killing Eve, Series 3 Episode 5
- Jocelyn Moorhouse – Wakefield, Series 1 Episode 8
- Nash Edgerton – Mr Inbetween, Series 3 Episode 1
- Daniel Nettheim – Halifax: Retribution, Series 1 Episode 7
- Wayne Blair – Mystery Road, Series 2 Episode 4
- Gracie Otto –Bump, Series 1 Episode 6
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Serial episode
- David Gould – Home and Away – E7591
- Scott Major – Neighbours – E8573
- Tenika Smith – Neighbours – E8490
- Tenika Smith – The Heights – S2 E24
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Miniseries Episode
- Daniel Nettheim – Line of Duty – S6 E1
- Natalie Bailey – Run– E5
- Kate Woods – The Good Lord Bird – E6
- Claire McCarthy – The Luminaries – E2
- Natalie Bailey – The Unusual Suspects – E3
Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Comedy Program episode
- Jonathan Brough – Aftertaste S1 E1
- Max Miller – Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun – S1 E1
- Helena Brooks – Drunk History: Australia – S1 E3
- Jonathan Brough – Rosehaven – S4 E1
- Jessie Oldfield and Adam Murfet – Why Are You Like This? – E3
- Shaun Wilson – The Young Offenders – S3 E3
Best Direction in a Web/Online Comedy Series Episode
- Megan Riakos – Deadhouse Dark – E2
- Libby Butler – Loving Captivity – E5
- Logan Mucha – Scattered – E33
- Stevie Cruz-Martin – The Tailings – S1 E5
- Hannah Lehmann – Two Sides – S2 E8
Best Direction in a Web/Online Drama Series Episode
- Henry Stone – A Life in Questions: Wisdom School with Aaron Chen
- Joelene Crnogorac – All the Way to the Top – E1
- Grace Feng Fang Juan – Girl, Interpreted
- Joshua Longhurst – Ding Dong I’m Gay – S1 E6
- Nick Kozakis – Earners
- Jenna Owen & Vic Zerbst – The War on 2020
Best Direction in an Animation Project
- Alexs Stadermann – 100% Wolf
- Jacquie Trowell – 100% Wolf: Legend of the Moonstone – S1 E22
- Jake Duczynski – Cooked
- David Webster – Kangaroo Beach
- Sarah Harper – LEGO: Monkie Kid – S2 E10
- Pablo de la Torre – SPACE NOVA – S1 E7
Best Direction in Commercial Content
- Jemma Cotter – Respectful Intimate Relationships
- Gemma Lee – Live Liberated
- Matisse Ruby – Love and Transfiguration
- Toby Morris – Space: A Skate Odyssey
- Stef Smith – Shower Talk with Celeste Barber
Best Direction in a Commercial Advertisement
- Michael Spiccia – Aware Super: Brand 90′
- Sanjay De Silva – Flybuys: Give a Flybuys
- Sanjay De Silva – Google: Helping You Help Others
- Michael Spiccia – Hyundai Santa Fe: Little Angels
- Tim Bullock – Toyota Highlander: Heroes
Best Direction in a Music Video
- Riley Blakeway – ‘Gold Chains’ by Genesis Owusu
- Chloe de Brito – ‘Keep It Up’ by Sonny Grin
- Mick Soiza – ‘Miracles’ by Jarryd James
- James Chappell – ‘Supermarket Riots’ by LUPA J
- Sanjay De Silva – ‘Times Up’ by Sampa The Great
Best Direction in an Interactive or Immersive Title
- Samantha Lang – Boumiera (Brown Lake)
- Aaron Wilson – IOPU
- Zoe Pepper – Sun Runners
- Matthew Sleeth – The First Cut Is the Deepest