Ray Argall.
Ray Argall will be the 2018 recipient of the Australian Directors’ Guild’s Cecil Holmes Award, a prize designed to recognise those who have advocated for the role of the director.
Argall was the president of the ADG from 2006 to 2016, and is both a director and cinematographer whose credits include Return Home and Eight Ball. His upcoming feature documentary, Midnight Oil: 1984, will be released by Madman on May 10.
ADG CEO Kingston Anderson said: “Ray Argall has been one of the ADG’s longest serving presidents and has ushered in an era of development and change at the guild. His dedication in serving on the board and standing up for screen directors has been outstanding.”
Established in 1995 and presented by the ADG board, the Cecil Holmes Award was established to honour 1970s filmmaker Cecil Holmes, whose work was largely unheralded, and who was later instrumental in mentoring a number of Australian screen directors. Recent winners have included Courtney Gibson and Michael Frankel and Greg Duff.
Argall will be presented the award at the ADG Awards next week May 4 in at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, hosted by comedian Susie Youssef. Kat Stewart, Pia Miranda Michala Banas, Xavier Samuel, Damian Walshe-Howling, Adam Elliot and Evie Macdonald will be presenters.
Among those fighting for the top gong of the evening, Best Direction in a Feature Film Tori Garrett for Don’t Tell, Simon Baker for Breath, Jason Raftopoulos for West of Sunshine, Jeffrey Walker for Ali’s Wedding and Greg McLean for Jungle.
Read the full list of nominees here.