'Lion' director Garth Davis has won the ADG Award for Best Direction in a Feature Film.
Director Garth Davis has taken out the top gong at the ADG Awards for his work helming Lion.
Davis was presented the prize for Best Direction in a Feature Film by Peter Weir at an award ceremony in Melbourne on Friday.
Lion, which received six Oscar nods and has gone on to be the fifth highest-grossing Australian film of all time at the local box office, is Davis’ debut feature.
Davis was up against Simon Stone (The Daughter), Ben Young (Hounds of Love), Craig Boreham (Teenage Kicks) and Jonathan Leahy (Skin Deep) – each of which was also a first feature.
The award for Best Direction in a Documentary Feature Film was presented to Dan Jackson for In The Shadow of the Hill, while Hotel Coolgardie director Pete Gleeson received High Commendation. The jury noted the documentary feature category had a particularly high quality of submissions, especially so at a time when it is difficult to fund such projects.
Bentley Dean and Martin Butler, who last year won Best Direction in a Feature Film for Tanna, picked up the award for Best Direction in a Documentary Short Subject for A Sense of Self, along with co-director Liz Jackson.
In television, Kevin Carlin won Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Mini Series for Molly. Emma Freeman took out Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama series for Secret City – The Watchers (series 1, episode 2), while Matthew Saville won in the comedy category for Please Like Me – Burrito Bowl (series 4, episode 5).
Sally Aitken picked up the award for Best Direction in a Documentary Series for Streets of Your Town.
Former Screen NSW CEO turned Jungle MD Courtney Gibson received the Cecil Holmes Award, which honours those who have promoted and advocated for directors, while Daina Reid (The Wrong Girl, Offspring, Hunters, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, The Secret River) received the Michael Carson Award, which recognises excellence in the craft of television drama direction.
The full list of award winners is below:
BEST DIRECTION IN A FEATURE FILM
Garth Davis for Lion
BEST DIRECTION IN A SHORT FILM
Luci Schroder for Slapper
BEST DIRECTION IN A STUDENT FILM
Meaghan Palmer for Tasty
Morgan Healy for Disabused
BEST DIRECTION IN A DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
Dan Jackson for In the Shadow of the Hill
BEST DIRECTION IN A DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Sally Aitken for Streets of Your Town
BEST DIRECTION IN A DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
Bentley Dean, Martin Butler and Liz Jackson for A Sense of Self
ESBEN STORM AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION IN A CHILDREN'S TV OR SVOD DRAMA
Robyn Butler for Little Lunch Special: The Nightmare Before Graduation
BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD DRAMA SERIES
Emma Freeman for Secret City – The Watchers (Series 1, Episode 2)
BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD DRAMA SERIAL
Gary Conway for Neighbours Block 1458 Ep 7509
BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD MINI SERIES
Kevin Carlin for Molly
BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD COMEDY PROGRAM
Matthew Saville for Please Like Me – Burrito Bowl (Series 4, Episode 5)
BEST DIRECTION IN AN ONLINE COMEDY PROJECT
Damien Cassar for Lowering Awareness
BEST DIRECTION IN AN ONLINE DRAMA PROJECT
Christopher Benz for ReWriteYourStory – CONNOR
BEST DIRECTION IN COMMERCIAL CONTENT
Craig Melville for Air New Zealand – Summer Wonderland
BEST DIRECTION IN A MUSIC VIDEO
Matthew Chuang for Made of Fire Artist: Fire to the Stars
THE MICHAEL CARSON AWARD
Daina Reid
THE CECIL HOLMES AWARD
Courtney Gibson
THE ADG INNOVATION AWARD
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