Mel Gibson on the set of Hacksaw Ridge.
Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge cleaned up at the 6th AACTA Awards ceremony last night, taking home five awards, including Best Film and Best Original Screenplay.
Gibson was honoured for Best Direction, while Andrew Garfield won Best Lead Actor and Hugo Weaving nabbed Best Supporting Actor.
“I need to thank Australia for making this film,” said Gibson in his acceptance speech.
He praised the "homegrown" film’s cast and crew, “the calibre of which is as good or better than anywhere in the world.”
“I’m not the only one who wants to make films here all the time, Ridley Scott said the same thing,” Gibson said. “I’m honoured to receive this.”
The five awards add to the four Hacksaw Ridge already picked up earlier this week at the AACTA Industry Luncheon. The film was nominated in 13 categories overall.
Odessa Young received the award for Best Lead Actress and Mirando Otto for Best Supporting Actress for their work in The Daughter.
Eva Orner’s Chasing Asylum took home Best Feature Length Documentary, with the director using her speech to call on the government to close offshore detention centres.
Paul Hogan was honoured with the Academy’s highest accolade, the AACTA Longford Lyell Award. Hogan was presented with the award by Shane Jacobson, and received tributes from Michael Caton, Ernie Dingo, Delvene Delaney (who won a big cheer from the crowd), John Brown, Peter Faiman, Adam Hills and Dave Hughes.
“I’m probably the world’s leading one hit wonder," joked Hogan. "But you know, it was a mighty hit."
Isla Fisher received the Trailblazer Award, joking that she needed to thank Donald Trump: "I don't think I'd be here without him showing the world that it's okay for unqualified orange people to win things."
Artist, VR practitioner and director Lynette Wallworth won the $10,000 Byron Kennedy Award.
In television, The Kettering Incident was awarded Best Telefeature or Mini Series, and its star Elizabeth Debicki took out Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama.
Samuel Johnson was awarded Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama for his turn as Molly Meldrum in Molly.
Wentworth picked up Best Television Drama Series, while Upper Middle Bogan won Best Television Comedy Series.
The full list of winners:
AACTA LONGFORD LYELL AWARD
• Paul Hogan AM
AACTA TRAILBLAZER AWARD
•Isla Fisher
BYRON KENNEDY AWARD
•Lynette Wallworth
TELEVISION
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST TELEVISION DRAMA SERIES
•Wentworth Pino Amenta ADG, Jo Porter S.P.A – Foxtel/SoHo
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST TELEFEATURE OR MINI SERIES
•The Kettering Incident Vincent Sheehan, Victoria Madden, Andrew Walker Foxtel/Showcase
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST TELEVISION COMEDY SERIES
• Upper Middle Bogan Robyn Butler, Wayne Hope, Ben Grogan – ABC
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION SERIES
•Gruen Wil Anderson, Polly Connolly, Nick Murray, Jon Casimir, Richard Huddleston – ABC
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST LIFESTYLE TELEVISION PROGRAM
• Destination Flavour Scandinavia Erik Dwyer, Rachel Hardie – SBS
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST REALITY TELEVISION SERIES
• Masterchef Australia Marty Benson, Tim Toni, Rob Wallace – Network Ten
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
• Samuel Johnson Molly – Seven Network
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
• Elizabeth Debicki The Kettering Incident – Foxtel/Showcase
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY IN TELEVISION
• ABC Comedy Showroom – The Letdown Sarah Scheller, Alison Bell – ABC
FEATURE FILM
FEATURE FILM AACTA AWARD FOR BEST FILM PRESENTED BY FOXTEL
• Hacksaw Ridge Bill Mechanic, David Permut, Paul Currie, Bruce Davey
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION
• Hacksaw Ridge Mel Gibson
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTOR
• Andrew Garfield Hacksaw Ridge
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS
• Odessa Young The Daughter
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
• Hugo Weaving Hacksaw Ridge
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
• Miranda Otto The Daughter
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL
• Hacksaw Ridge Andrew Knight, Robert Schenkkan
DOCUMENTARY
AACTA AWARD FOR BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY
• Chasing Asylum Eva Orner
The list of craft winners from the Industry Luncheon is here.