By Brendan Swift
Warwick Thornton’s indigenous drama Samson & Delilah scooped the Kodak Inside Film Awards in Sydney last night, taking home six awards including best feature film.
The eleventh annual awards, which are decided by public vote, also saw director Baz Luhrmann honoured with the Living Legend award after his epic Australia took the 2009 box office prize.
He becomes the youngest Living Legend, joining other industry standouts such as actor Hugo Weaving, director George Miller and editor Jill Bilcock. Three of the top ten local films of all time – Australia, Moulin Rouge! and Strictly Ballroom – have been directed by Luhrmann.
But it was Thornton’s low-budget masterpiece, which also won the Camera d’Or at the Cannes International Film Festival earlier this year, that stole the show.
While producer Kath Shelper accepted the award for best picture, Thornton received awards for best direction, best music, and best script. The film’s two lead actors, Rowan McNamara and Marissa Gibson, won awards for best actor and actress.
Political thriller Balibo won awards for best sound and editing while drama Beautiful Kate picked up the best cinematography award. Adam Elliot won best production design for his animated feature Mary & Max.
The independent spirit award went to the Iranian-shot My Tehran For Sale while producer and director Dominic Allen won the award for rising talent.
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce won best documentary, The Cat Piano won best animation, and Mankind is no Island won best short documentary.
The awards will be broadcast on SBS tonight at 10pm.
Encore presentations will be shown on subscription TV channel Showcase (Friday at 11.30pm and Saturday at 5.40pm) and SHOWTIME (next Tuesday at 10.25pm and Wednesday at 9.25am).
The full list of winners:
The SHOWTIME IF Award for Best Feature Film
Samson & Delilah – Warwick Kath Shelper
The TIME OUT IF Award for Best Actor
Rowan McNamara – Samson & Delilah
The IF Award for Best Actress
Marissa Gibson – Samson & Delilah
The Jameson IF Award for Best Script
Samson & Delilah – Warwick Thornton
The Dinosaur Design IF Award for Best Music
Samson & Delilah – Warwick Thornton
The National Film & Sound Archive IF Award for Best Direction
Samson & Delilah – Warwick Thornton
The Zig Zag Lane IF Award for Best Sound
Balibo – Sam Petty, Emma Bortignon, Phil Heywood, Ann Aucote
The AVID IF Award for Best Editing
Balibo – Nick Meyers
The Dyson IF Award for Best Production Design
Mary & Max – Adam Elliot
The Sony IF Award for Best Cinematography
Beautiful Kate – Andrew Commis
The Resolution Design Independent Spirit IF Award
My Tehran For Sale – Director: Granaz Moussavi Producers, Julie Ryan, Kate Croser, Granaz Moussavi
The EFilm IF Award for Rising Talent
Dominic Allen
The Holding Redlich IF Award for Best Short Film
Ralph – Director Deborah Mailman, Producers Jessie Mangum and Kylie Du Fresne
The Autodesk IF Award for Best Animation
The Cat Piano – Directors Eddie White & Ari Gibson, Producer Jessica Brentnall
The Production Book IF Award for Best Short Documentary
Mankind is No Island – Jason Van Genderen
The FACB IF Award for Best Documentary
The Last Confession of Alexander Pearce – Michael James Rowland, Producer Nial Fulton
The Chaotic Pictures IF Award for Best Music Video
Sway Sway Baby – Short Stack – Dan Reisinger
The Cutting Edge IF Award for Box Office Achievement
Australia – Baz Luhrmann, G.Mac Brown and Catherine Knapman
The Kodak Living Legend IF Award
Baz Luhrmann
The TDC IF Award for Best Film Festival
Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival