Past Winners

1990-1999

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AACTA Winners & Nominees

AFI Past winners

Eight films were nominated in two or more categories at the 1997 AFI Awards, with the most nominated films accounting for the bulk of the successes. Among Best Film nominees, Kiss Or Kill and The Well each had 11 nominations, Doing Time For Patsy Cline had 10 and Blackrock 5. The other multiple nominees were Idiot Box (6), Thank God He Met Lizzie (5), The Castle (4) and Road To Nhill (2). No other year in memory produced so many major new talents.

The first major award (for Best Adapted Screenplay) went to Laura Jones for The Well. She had a previous nomination in the category of Best Original Screenplay and had won the Byron Kennedy Award in 1996. The Well also won the award for Best Production Design. Michael Philips had previously been nominated in this category for Traps. Completing a trio of awards for The Well was the success of Pamela Rabe as Best Lead Actress in a strong field that included Miranda Otto (also for The Well) and Frances O’Connor (both for Kiss Or Kill and Thank God He Met Lizzie). It was Pamela Rabe’s first nomination.

Another first-time nominee was Cate Blanchett, whose performance in Thank God He Met Lizzie saw her named Best Supporting Actress.

The award for Best Original Screenplay went to the team behind The Castle.

Doing Time For Patsy Cline was successful in four categories. Louise Wakefield, who had been nominated in 1996 for Shine, won the award for Best Costume Design. Doing Time For Patsy Cline won Peter Best his fourth award for Best Original Music. Andrew Lesnie won Best Cinematography at his first nomination in this category. Richard Roxburgh, who was named Best Lead Actor, had two previous TV acting nominations.

The major winner in 1997 was Kiss Or Kill. Andrew S. Gilbert, another first-time nominee, won Best Supporting Actor. As part of a team of sound artists, Toivo Lember won his second consecutive AFI Award for Best Sound. Henry Dangar, who had been previously nominated for Stir, Heads 'N Tails, The Crossing and Mushrooms, won Best Editing. Rounding out a very successful evening, Bill Bennett took home Best Direction and shared Best Film with his wife Jennifer Bennett. In 1985, Bennett had been nominated in the categories of Best Original Screenplay, Best Direction and Best Film for A Street To Die. In 1989, he was nominated in the category of Best Direction in a Telefeature for Malpractice and in 1993 in Best Television Documentary for The Last Man Hanged. Kiss Or Kill achieved major success at festivals in Montreal and Chicago. It was the film of the year in a year that announced a remarkable number of new talents.

In the non–feature category, Mabo: Life Of An Island Man was named Best Documentary. It was the second AFI Award for director Trevor Graham. Another new talent announced was Adam Elliot, whose film Uncle won the award for Best Short Animation. It was his debut work.

In the television categories, the awards for Best Actor in a Television Drama and Best Actress in a Television Drama went to David Wenham and Anne Looby for Simone De Beauvoir's Babies. Both were first time nominees.

Other first-time nominees included Nash Edgerton and Samantha Lang. Not only would they and the other first-time nominees all make a lasting mark in Australian Cinema, but would go on to win Academy Awards in the next eight years.

The Byron Kennedy Award was given to John Polson in recognition of his successful founding of the Tropicana Short Film Festival [now Tropfest].

The Raymond Longford Award went to Jan Chapman for her already remarkable body of work.

1997 Winners & Nominees

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  • Adam-Elliot-1997
  • Anne-Looby-1997
  • David-Wenham-1997
  • Performer-Hugh-Jackman-1997
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FEATURE FILM

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NON-FEATURE FILM

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ADDITIONAL AWARDS

  • Best Foreign Film

  • Winner:

    Secrets And Lies Simon Channing-Williams

    Nominees:

    Breaking The Waves Vibeke Windelov, Peter Aalbaek Jensen
    The English Patient Saul Zaentz
    William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet Gabriella Martinelli, Baz Luhrmann

  • Raymond Longford Award

  • Winner:

    Jan Chapman (Producer)

  • Byron Kennedy Award

  • Winner:

    John Polson

  • Open Craft Award

  • Winner:

    Frontier: Worse Than Slavery Itself (for Research & Script) Bruce Belsham, Victoria Pitt

    Nominees:

    Faces 1976-1996 (for Innovation in Form) Sue Ford, Ben Ford
    The Butler (for Direction) Anna Kannava
    Trunk (for Performance) Leverne McDonnell

  • Holding Redlich Young Actor's Award

  • Winner:

    The Wayne Manifesto (ABC) Jeffrey Walker

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TELEVISION

  • Best Children’s Television Drama

  • Winner:

    The Wayne Manifesto - Episode 20, 'Amy Pastrami Day' (ABC) Alan Hardy

    Nominees:

    Return To Jupiter - Episode 1, 'Shipwreck' (ABC) Terry Jennings
    The Wayne Manifesto - Episode 11, 'Junk' (ABC) Alan Hardy
    The Wayne Manifesto - Episode 5, 'Pizza (ABC) Alan Hardy

  • Complete Post Award for Best Episode in a Television Drama Series

  • Winner:

    Frontline, Season 3 - Episode 13, 'Epitaph' (ABC) Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro, Jane Kennedy, Tom Gleisner

    Nominees:

    Frontline, Season 3 - Episode 3, 'The Shadow We Cast' (ABC) Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro, Jane Kennedy, Tom Gleisner
    Good Guys Bad Guys, Series 1 - Episode 1, '1.8 Million Reasons To Change Your Name Part 1' (Nine Network) Roger Le Mesurier, Roger Simpson, Ros Tatarka
    Good Guys Bad Guys, Series 1 - Episode 2, '1.8 Million Reasons To Change Your Name Part 2' (Nine Network) Roger Le Mesurier, Roger Simpson, Ros Tatarka

  • Avid Technology Award for Best Episode in a Television Drama Serial

  • Winner:

    Neighbours - Episode 2842 (Network Ten) Peter Dodds

    Nominees:

    Home And Away - 'The Earthquake' (Seven Network) Russell Webb
    Neighbours - Episode 2911 (Network Ten) Peter Dodds

  • AAV Australia Award for Best Mini-Series or Telefeature

  • Winner:

    Good Guys Bad Guys - Telemovie Pilot 'Only The Young Die Good' (Nine Network) Roger Le Mesurier, Roger Simpson, Ros Tatarka

    Nominees:

    Kangaroo Palace (Seven Network) Ewan Burnett
    Simone De Beauvoir's Babies (ABC) Andrew Knight, Denise Patience, Deborah Cox
    The Last Of The Ryans (Nine Network) Richard Brennan

  • First Australian Completion Bond Award for Best Achievement in Direction in a Television Drama

  • Winner:

    Good Guys Bad Guys, Series 1 - Episode 2, '1.8 Million Reasons To Change Your Name Part 2' (Nine Network) Brendan Maher

    Nominees:

    Good Guys Bad Guys, Series 1 - Episode 1, '1.8 Million Reasons To Change Your Name Part 1' (Nine Network) Brendan Maher
    Twisted Tales - Episode 11, 'Directly From My Heart To You' (Nine Network) Catherine Millar

  • Crowley Management Award for Best Screenplay in a Television Drama

  • Winner:

    Frontline, Season 3 - Episode 7, 'The Simple Life' (ABC) Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro, Jane Kennedy, Tom Gleisner

    Nominees:

    Frontline, Season 3 - Episode 13, 'Epitaph' (ABC) Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro, Jane Kennedy, Tom Gleisner
    Good Guys Bad Guys, Series 1 - Episode 2, '1.8 Million Reasons To Change Your Name Part 2' (Nine Network) Graeme Koetsveld
    Simone De Beauvoir's Babies - Episode 3 (ABC) Deborah Cox

  • Golden Square Pictures Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama

  • Winner:

    Simone De Beauvoir's Babies (ABC) David Wenham

    Nominees:

    Fallen Angels - Episode 15, 'Pig In Shit' (ABC) Geoff Morrell
    Good Guys Bad Guys (Nine Network) Marcus Graham
    Kangaroo Palace (Seven Network) Jeremy Sims

  • Beyond Television Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama

  • Winner:

    Simone De Beauvoir's Babies - Episode 3 (ABC) Anne Looby

    Nominees:

    Fallen Angels - Episode 14, 'Love Is In The Air' (ABC) Leah Purcell
    Raw FM - Episode 2, 'Desperately Seeking Su Lin' (ABC) Nadine Garner
    Simone De Beauvoir's Babies - Episode 4 (ABC) Sally Cooper

  • SBS Television Award for Best Television Documentary

  • Winner:

    Dhuway (SBS) Lew Griffiths, Noel Pearson

    Nominees:

    Night Of The Bogongs (ABC) Klaus Toft
    The Last Of The Nomads (SBS) Peter du Cane, Samantha Kelley
    You Always Hurt The Ones You Love (ABC) David Flatman, Sue Flatman

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