Doco duo honoured with Byron Kennedy Award

Filmmakers Martin Butler and Bentley Dean are this year’s recipients of the Byron Kennedy Award.

The duo, whose documentary A Sense of Self last night won a Walkley Award, will be honoured at the 7th AACTA Awards next Wednesday.

SBS Indigenous doco First Footprints is typical of their work, much of which has involved collaboration with Indigenous communities.

Various works, together or individually, include Contact, Tanna, Call Me Dad, The Siege and The President versus David Hicks.

“Martin and Bentley are exemplary recipients of the Byron Kennedy Award,” said Dr George Miller. “Their integrity shines through all their endeavours. Because of this, they are held in the highest regard by their collaborators and audiences all over the world.”

“Receiving the Byron Kennedy Award is such an honour,” said Dean and Butler. “Our motivation has always been bringing important, but seemingly impossible stories to life in utterly compelling ways. We are humbled and fired up to join a league of Award recipients who get their kicks from ‘the relentless pursuit of excellence’.”

The pair are currently working on a project they describe as “Australia’s greatest untold story.”

TV Tonight is a partner of the 2017 AACTA Awards.