Submissions are open for this year’s Australian Directors’ Guild (ADG) Awards, with prizes to be handed down across 20 categories.

In some notable changes, a new award will be presented for Best Direction in a Debut Feature Film. Entries for this award can be narrative, documentary, or animation and the category has no budget requirements. There is also a new award for Best Direction in an Online Mobile-First Series Episode.

Two other feature film categories have been renamed; Best Direction in a Narrative Feature Film (Budget $1M or over) and Best Direction in a Narrative Feature Film (Budget under $1M). These categories have also been expanded to include feature films made for streaming and television as well as for theatrical release. Elsewhere, the Drama Serial category has been merged with Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series Episode.

The ADG will once again honour the much-loved First AD ‘JC’ John Clabburn’s incredible achievements and extraordinarily collaborative spirit with an Award presented in his name at the 2022 awards.

The 2022 Australian Directors’ Guild Award categories are as follows:

1. Best Direction in a Debut Feature Film
2. Best Direction in a Narrative Feature Film (Budget $1M or over)
3. Best Direction in a Narrative Feature Film (Budget under $1M)
4. Best Direction in a Short Film
5. Best Direction in a Student Film
6. Best Direction in a Documentary Feature
7. Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Documentary Series Episode or Documentary One-Off
8. Best Direction in a Documentary Short Subject
9. The Esben Storm Award for Best Direction in a Children’s TV or SVOD Series Episode
10. Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series Episode
11. Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Comedy Series Episode
12. Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Miniseries Episode
13. Best Direction in an Online Drama Series Episode
14. Best Direction in an Online Comedy Series Episode
15. Best Direction in an Online Mobile-First Series Episode
16. Best Direction in Animation
17. Best Direction in a Commercial Advertisement
18. Best Direction in a Commercial Content
19. Best Direction in a Music Video
20. Best Direction in an Interactive or Immersive Project