First-time feature directors Thomas Wright ('Acute Misfortune'), John Sheedy ('H is for Happiness'), Ben Lawrence ('Hearts and Bones') and Natalie Erika James ('Relic') will vie for the Australian Directors' Guild Award for Best Direction in a Feature Film ($1 million or over) against Sophie Hyde ('Animals') and Wayne Blair ('Top End Wedding').
Some 34 feature films will compete for nominations for this year's AACTA Awards, and the longlist covers diverse range of titles, from box office earners like 'Top End Wedding' and 'Storm Boy', through to the critically lauded 'The Nightingale' and micro budget indies like 'Suburban Wildlife'.