Sonya Pemberton’s Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail won three prizes at the 2015 ATOM Awards presented in Melbourne on Thursday night.
The Genepool Productions documentary, which chronicles the cultural, scientific and natural history of uranium, was lauded as best documentary- history, TV factual series and best documentary – science, technology and the environment.
Director Maya Newell and producer Charlotte Mars’ Gayby Baby was named best documentary-general at the awards for tertiary and general/open categories held at Lux Melbourne on Chapel Street, hosted by Brian Nankervis from RocKwiz.
Best documentary- biography went to Remembering the Man, Nickolas Bird and Eleanor Sharpe’s’ film on Tim Conigrave and John Caleo, whose story was told in Neil Armfield’s Holding the Man.
Gillian Armstrong’s Women He’s Undressed, produced by Damien Parer, was best documentary – arts.
Best docudrama was The War That Changed Us, which chronicled how WW1 impacted the soldiers and their families, nurses and those who opposed the conflict, produced by Electric Pictures' Andrew Ogilvie and directed by Don Featherstone.
The prize for best documentary – social and political issues, went to Samson Productions’ The Redfern Story, Darlene Johnson’s account of the National Black Theatre movement in inner-city Sydney.
Jonathan M Shiff Productions’ Mako – Island of Secrets season 2 was voted best children’s series.
Held annually for more than 30 years, the ATOM Awards recognise film and media excellence in the education and screen industry sectors. This year there were more than 500 entries from Australian and New Zealand media producers for 28 categories.
The tertiary and general/open winners:
Best Tertiary Documentary
The Flight of the Buffalo, Brodie Poole, Queensland University of Technology
Best Tertiary Short Fiction
The Summer of ABC Burns, Dannika Horvat and Stephanie Westwood, Swinburne University of Technology
Best Educational/Training Resource (Primary/Secondary)
The Lost Tools of Henry Hoke, JDR Screen
Best Instructional/Training Resource (Tertiary/General)
PCYC NSW Traffic Offenders Intervention Program, Gavin Banks and Olivia Olley, Good Eye Dear
Best Indigenous Resource
Prison Songs, Kelrick Martin, Spear Point Productions and Beyond West
Best Game / Multimedia Production
Cronulla Riots: The Day That Shocked The Nation, Northern Pictures
Best Short Fiction (50 minutes or less)
Karroyul, Kelrick Martin, Spear Point Productions
Best Experimental
Digital Aura, Naohiro Hayakawa, Monash University
Best Animation
The Orchestra, Mikey Hill, Feather Films
Best Music Video
Colourblind, Samuel Lewis, Oh Yeah Wow
Best Children’s Television Program
Mako – Island of Secrets – Season 2, Jonathan M Shiff Productions
Best Factual Television Series
Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail, Sonya Pemberton, Genepool Productions
Best Documentary – Short Form (30 minutes or less)
Helen Garner’s Monkey Grip, Fiona Tuomy and Liz Burke, Liz Burke Media
Best Documentary – General
Gayby Baby, Maya Newell and Charlotte Mars, Marla House
Best Documentary – History
Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail, Sonya Pemberton, Genepool Productions
Best Documentary – Social & Political Issues
The Redfern Story, Darlene Johnson, Samson Productions
Best Documentary – Science, Technology & the Environment
Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail, Sonya Pemberton, Genepool Productions
Best Documentary – Biography
Remembering the Man, Nickolas Bird and Eleanor Sharpe, Waterbyrd Filmz
Best Documentary – Arts
Women He's Undressed, Gillian Armstrong and Damien Parer, Damien Parer Productions
Best Docudrama
The War That Changed Us, Andrew Ogilvie, Electric Pictures