2017 ADG Awards: Australian Directors’ Guild announce nominations

The Australian Director’s Guild (ADG) has announced the nominations for the 2017 ADG Awards. This year, all five nominees in the category of Best Direction in a Feature Film are directors making their feature film debut. Unsurprisingly, the Oscar nominated Lion gives director Garth Davis a nod. Joining him in the features cateogory is Simon Stone (The Daughter), Ben Young (Hounds of Love), Craig Boreham (Teenage Kicks) and Jonathan Leahy (Skin Deep) receiving nominations.

Big drama series Secret City, Cleverman, The Kettering Incident and Rake also scored nominations in the television drama category.

The Awards will take place on Friday 5 May at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins. A full list of nominations is below.

BEST DIRECTION IN A FEATURE FILM

Ben Young for Hounds of Love
Craig Boreham for Teenage Kicks
Garth Davis for Lion
Jonathan Leahy for Skin Deep
Simon Stone for The Daughter

BEST DIRECTION IN A SHORT FILM

Dejan Mrkic for Silence
Jennifer Perrott for The Ravens
Josh Tanner for Wandering Soul
Luci Schroder for Slapper
Lucy Gaffy for Dream Baby
Sarah Hatherley for Lost Soul

BEST DIRECTION IN A STUDENT FILM

Meaghan Palmer for Tasty
Morgan Healy for Disabused
Dane McCusker for Angelfish
Sunday Emerson Gullifer for Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

BEST DIRECTION IN A DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

Aaron Peterson for Zach’s Ceremony
Amanda Blue for Deep Water: The Real Story
Dan Jackson for In the Shadow of the Hill
Gillian Leahy for Baxter and Me
Pete Gleeson for Hotel Coolgardie

BEST DIRECTION IN A DOCUMENTARY SERIES

Sally Aitken for Streets of Your Town
Simon Nasht for Howard On Menzies

BEST DIRECTION IN A DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

Bentley Dean and Martin Butler for A Sense of Self
Kay Pavlou for Recognition – Yes or No?
Thomas Abood for The End of The Line
Wes Greene for Return to Bosnia

ESBEN STORM AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION IN A CHILDREN’S TV OR SVOD DRAMA

Robyn Butler for Little Lunch Special: The Nightmare Before Graduation
Sian Davies for Nowhere Boys – The Trouble With Ben (Series 3, Episode 7)

BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD DRAMA SERIES

Emma Freeman for Secret City – The Watchers (Series 1, Episode 2)
Leah Purcell for Cleverman – Sun and Moon (Series 1, Episode 4)
Rowan Woods for Rake – (Series 4, Episode 6)
Tony Krawitz for The Kettering Incident – The Search (Series 1, Episode 3)

BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD DRAMA SERIAL

Arnie Custo for Home and Away Ep 6486
Danny Raco for Home and Away Ep 6395
Gary Conway for Neighbours Block 1458 Ep 7509
Geoffrey Nottage for Home and Away Ep 6417

BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD MINI SERIES

Geoff Bennett for Brock
Kevin Carlin for Molly
Robert Connolly for Barracuda

BEST DIRECTION IN A TV OR SVOD COMEDY PROGRAM

Christiaan Van Vuuren and Connor Van Vuuren for Soul Mates (Series 2, Episode 4)
Jonathan Brough for Rosehaven (Series 1, Episode 8)
Jonathan Brough for The Family Law (Series 1, Episode 1)
Matthew Saville for Please Like Me – Burrito Bowl (Series 4, Episode 5)
Trent O’Donnell for The Letdown (Pilot episode)

BEST DIRECTION IN AN ONLINE COMEDY PROJECT

Cate McQuillen for Compost Rocks (Fabisode 4)
Christopher Benz for Little Acorns – She’s A Man! (Episode 2)
Damien Cassar for Lowering Awareness

BEST DIRECTION IN AN ONLINE DRAMA PROJECT

Amanda Jane for ReWriteYourStory – CAL
Christopher Benz for ReWriteYourStory – CONNOR
Kyle Portbury for Tell the World
Stuart Willis for Restoration

BEST DIRECTION IN COMMERCIAL CONTENT

Cassie De Colling for Foreign Correspondent, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Melbourne
Craig Melville for Air New Zealand – Summer Wonderland
Damien Toogood for United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) “The List”
Husein Alicajic for Samsung // Make Your Mark
Paul Middleditch for Nothing Brings People Together Like Lamb

BEST DIRECTION IN A MUSIC VIDEO