Australian Directors Guild Awards 2021: winners

Winners were announced yesterday in  the annual Australian Director’s Guild and included directors behind The Luminaries, Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun, Home and Away, Bluey and Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra.

A gala luncheon ceremony, held at the Actors Centre, Sydney, was hosted by Greta Lee Jackson and Nina Oyama with presenters including actors Hunter Page-Lochard,  Remy Hii, Zoe Terakes and Gerard O’Dwyer, directors Unjoo Moon, Jen Peedom, Jasmin Tarasin, Stef Smith and comedy duo Freudian Nip.

“After the difficulties of the past two years, the opportunity to celebrate in person with our nominated and award-winning directors, while also welcoming international and interstate guests via live streaming on-line and in-cinema, was warmly welcomed by Australia’s screen community. My congratulations to all the directors whose work has been acknowledged today,” said ADG Executive Director Alaric McAusland.

TV winners in bold:

Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Series episode
Shannon Murphy – Killing Eve, Series 3 Episode 5
Jocelyn Moorhouse – Wakefield, Series 1 Episode 8
Nash Edgerton – Mr Inbetween, Series 3 Episode 1
Daniel Nettheim – Halifax: Retribution, Series 1 Episode 7
Wayne Blair – Mystery Road, Series 2 Episode 4
Gracie Otto -Bump, Series 1 Episode 6

Best Direction in a Movie Made for TV or SVOD
Christiaan Van Vuuren – A Sunburnt Christmas (pictured left)
Chrys Phillips – Madison and the Happiness Jar
Rosie Lourde – Romance on the Menu

Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Drama Serial episode
David Gould – Home and Away – E7591
Scott Major – Neighbours – E8573
Tenika Smith – Neighbours – E8490
Tenika Smith – The Heights – S2 E24

Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Miniseries Episode
Daniel Nettheim – Line of Duty – S6 E1
Natalie Bailey – Run– E5
Kate Woods – The Good Lord Bird – E6
Claire McCarthy – The Luminaries – E2 (pictured right top)
Natalie Bailey – The Unusual Suspects – E3

Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Comedy Program episode
Jonathan Brough – Aftertaste S1 E1
Max Miller – Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun – S1 E1
Helena Brooks – Drunk History: Australia – S1 E3
Jonathan Brough – Rosehaven – S4 E1
Jessie Oldfield and Adam Murfet – Why Are You Like This? – E3
Shaun Wilson – The Young Offenders – S3 E3

Best Direction in a Children’s TV or SVOD Drama Program Episode
Richard Jeffery – Bluey – Sleepytime
Peter Andrikidis – The New Legends of Monkey
Hayley MacFarlane – Dive Club
Darren Ashton – Hardball – Staties!
Guy Edmonds – Hardball – You’re A Star

Best Direction in a Documentary Feature
Catherine Dwyer – Brazen Hussies
Wayne Blair (pictured right bottom) & Nel Minchin – Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra
Christopher Amos – Hating Peter Tatchell
Matthew Walker – I’m Wanita
Kriv Stenders – Slim & I

Best Direction in a TV or SVOD Documentary Series Episode or Documentary One-Off (TV one-hour)
Laurence Billiet – Freeman
Cathy Henkel and Sam Lara – Laura’s Choice
Cian O’Clery – Love on the Spectrum
Nial Fulton & Sarah Ferguson – Revelation
Tosca Looby – See What You Made Me Do

Best Direction in an Animation Project
Alexs Stadermann – 100% Wolf
Jacquie Trowell – 100% Wolf: Legend of the Moonstone – S1 E22
Jake Duczynski – Cooked
David Webster – Kangaroo Beach
Sarah Harper – LEGO: Monkie Kid – S2 E10
Pablo de la Torre – SPACE NOVA – S1 E7

Best Direction in a Web/Online Comedy Series Episode
Megan Riakos – Deadhouse Dark – E2
Libby Butler – Loving Captivity E5
Logan Mucha – Scattered – E33
Stevie Cruz-Martin – The Tailings – S1 E5
Hannah Lehmann – Two Sides – S2 E8

Best Direction in a Web/Online Drama Series Episode
Henry Stone – A Life in Questions: Wisdom School with Aaron Chen
Joelene Crnogorac – All the Way to the Top – E1
Grace Feng Fang Juan – Girl, Interpreted
Joshua Longhurst – Ding Dong I’m Gay S1 E6
Nick Kozakis – Earners
Jenna Owen & Vic Zerbst – The War on 2020

A special 1ST AD Award was presented posthumously to 1st AD ‘JC’ John Clabburn whose wife Melissa accepted the Award and their two sons Josh and Lewis also attended.