AIDC Awards 2022: winners

Winners in the Australian International Documentary Awards were announced yesterday at the conclusion of the in-person event, held at ACMI, Federation Square.

TV winners included I’m Wanita (which screened this week on ABC) and SBS docos See What You Made Me Do and Our African Roots.

An International Market conference will continue online today and tomorrow.

TV winners in bold:

Best Feature Documentary
I’m Wanita Matthew Walker, Carolina Sorensen, Clare Lewis, Tait Brady | People Productions, 2020
My Name is Gulpilil Molly Reynolds, Peter Djigirr, David Gulpilil, Rolf de Heer | Vertigo Productions & ABCG Film, 2021
The Bowraville Murders Allan Clarke, Stefan Moore, Dan Goldberg, Susan Lambert, Adam Kay | Mint Pictures & Jumping Dog Productions, 2021
Valerie Taylor: Playing With Sharks Bettina Dalton, Sally Aitken | Wildbear Entertainment, 2021

Jury Statement: “A daring boldness punctuates this film stylistically, and its colour, music and larger-than-life personalities give it a dramatic flair that seems stranger than fiction. Yet I’m Wanita simultaneously succeeds in capturing life’s fragility and disappointments, providing a complex view of reality with a subject with so much heart that it is impossible not to reflect on who we are as individuals and what we too can do to make the world a better place.”

Best Documentary/Factual Series
Laura’s Choice Sam Lara, Cathy Henkel, Ryan Hodgson, Melissa Kelly | Virgo Productions, 2021
Life in Colour with David Attenborough Adam Geiger, Colette Beaudry, Sharmila Choudury | Sealight Pictures And Humble Bee Films, 2021
The School That Tried to End Racism John Karabelas, Deb Spinocchia, Johnny Lowry | Screentime Australia, 2021
See What You Made Me Do Tosca Looby, Karina Holden | Northern Pictures, 2021

Jury Statement: “We were all struck by the power of this original documentary series. Harrowing, compelling, important, it treated the cases and people involved with care, and dealt with the raw testimony of the contributors in a compassionate and fresh way. The slow build of the opening story revealed the insidious, subtle ways that domestic violence can creep and grow in a relationship. By showing the varied types of violence, explaining terms such as coercive control, and showing that no matter how difficult and complicated the situation, help was out there, felt like public service television at its best. See What You Made Me Do stayed with us, haunted us even. These are important stories that people need to hear, engage with, and try to understand. And it certainly felt like a vital tool in the mission against domestic violence.

Best Documentary/Factual Single
Brazen Hussies Catherine Dwyer, Andrea Foxworthy, Philippa Campey | Film Camp, 2020
Our African Roots Santilla Chingaipe, Tony Jackson, David Collins | Chemical Media, 2021
Stackorama! Scott Baskett, Jared Nicholson, Naomi Just, Gene Geoffrey | Run Wild Productions, 2021

“Our African Roots, explores the surprising and forgotten history of African Australians and their role in events that helped shaped post colonial Australia. Led by the formidable Santilla Chingaipe, the documentary uses an approachable tone that invites conversation and awareness raising for a mainstream audience. Beautifully crafted, the film has high production values and utilises stylish dramatised vignettes that speak to an audience that needs to hear the message. Stories like Our African Roots are an important legacy that helps to rewrite and expose the dominant colonial narrative. More please!”

2022 Stanley Hawes Award
The winner of this year’s Stanley Hawes Award is screen journalist, David Tiley.

David began his long association with the screen industry as an educational script writer with the South Australian Film Corporation in 1973. This led to an eventful career in educational programs, documentary, script editing and screen funding, before his recruitment as the editor of ScreenHub in 2005.

He has written extensively on changing trends, policy issues and market developments, and is a tireless champion of documentary and factual production. We congratulate David on the well-deserved award and look forward to more of his journalism in the future. 

AIDC Factory Pitch Prizes

Doc Edge, Hot Docs, and Sunny Side of the Doc have generously awarded prizes to five of the project teams that competed in The FACTory.

Sunny Side of the Doc Prize (France)
Two complimentary passes for one team plus a two-hour online mentoring session for the winning project team. Note: accreditations will be valid for online or physical attendance at Sunny Side of the Doc 2022.
Winner: Our Hoolocks

Hot Docs Prize (Canada)
Two online passes to attend Hot Docs Industry in 2022.
Winner: Guardians of the River

Doc Edge Prize (New Zealand)
Three complimentary All Access passes to the Doc Edge Forum
Winners: The Last Daughter, Solastalgia: Journeys Through A Scarred Landscape, and Campesinos.