AUSTRALIAN FILM INSTITUTE AWARDS

The 'Australian Film Institute Awards' (often abbreviated to 'AFI Awards') is an annual awards ceremony administered by the Australian Film Institute, held in late November or early December. It is the most prestigious awards ceremony for the Australian film and television industry. They are the Australian equivalent to the American Academy Awards.

Contents

Special Awards

Awards in the feature film category

Awards in the television category

Awards in the non-feature film category

Criticisms and Controversies

External links

References

Special Awards

★ The Byron Kennedy Award

★ Longford Life Achievement Award (considered one of the highest AFI accolades).

★ Global Achievement Award In 2005, this Award was replaced by the International Awards for Best Lead Actor and Actress.

★ Best Actor

★ Best Actress

★ Excellence in Filmmaking

★ Reader's Choice Award

★ Young Actor Award

★ Visual Effects Award

★ Screenwriting Prize

★ Best Foreign Film

Awards in the feature film category

★ Best Film

★ Best Direction

★ Best Lead Actress

★ Best Lead Actor

★ Best Supporting Actress

★ Best Supporting Actor

★ Best Screenplay (Original or Adapted)

★ Best Original Music Score

★ Best Sound

★ Best Production Design

★ Best Costume Design

★ Best Editing

★ Best Cinematography

★ Jury Prize

Awards in the television category

★ Best Mini Series (Awarded to Producer/s)
In 1990, the name of this award changed to ‘Best Television Mini Series or Telefeature’.

★ Best Telefeature (Awarded to Producer/s)
In 1990, the name of this award changed to ‘Best Television Mini Series or Telefeature’.

★ Best Television Mini Series Or Telefeature (Awarded to Producer/s)

★ Best Television Documentary (Awarded to Producer/s)

★ Best Episode In A Television Drama, Series Or Serial (Awarded to Producer/s)
In 1993, this award split Into ‘Best Episode In a Television Drama Series’ And ‘Best Episode In a Television Drama Serial’.

★ Best Episode In A TV Drama Series (Awarded to Producer/s)

★ Best Episode In A Television Drama Serial (Awarded to Producer/s)
In 1999, the name of this award was changed to ‘Best Episode In a Television Drama Series (Long)’.

★ Best Episode In A Television Drama Series (Long) (Awarded to Producer/s)
In 2002, both Drama Series awards were combIned as ‘Best Television Drama Series’.

★ Best Television Drama Series (Awarded to Producer/s)

★ Best Children’s Television Drama (Awarded to Producer/s)

★ Best Comedy Series – Sitcom Or Sketch (Awarded to Producer/s)

★ Best Television Comedy Series (Awarded to Producer/s)

★ Best Light Entertainment Series (Awarded to Producer/s)

★ Best Achievement In Direction In A Mini Series
In 1990, this award was merged with ‘Best Direction In a Telefeature’ to become ‘Best Direction In a Telefeature or Mini Series’, which In 1991 was renamed ‘Best Achievement In Direction In a Television Drama’.
In 2004, this award became ‘Best Direction In Television’.

★ Best Direction In A Telefeature

★ Best Achievement In Direction In A Television Drama

★ Best Mini Series Screenplay
In 1990, this award was merged with the Screenplay award for Telefeatures to become ‘Best Screenplay In a Mini Series or Telefeature’, which In 1991 was renamed ‘Best Screenplay In a Television Drama’.
In 2004, this award became ‘Best Screenplay In Television’.

★ Best Screenplay In A Telefeature

★ Best Screenplay In A Television Drama

★ Best Screenplay In Television

★ Best Peformance By An Actor In A Mini Series
In 1990, this award was merged with the actIng award for Telefeatures to become the ‘Best Actor In a Leading Role In a Telefeature or Mini Series’, the name of which was changed In 1991 to ‘Best Actor In a Leading Role In a Television Drama’. In 2000, the Telefeature or Mini Series award was re-Introduced as a separate category. All awards combIned agaIn In 2002 under the title, ‘Best Actor In a Leading Role In a Television Drama’.
In 2004, this award became ‘Best Actor In a Leading Role In a Television Drama or Comedy’.
In 2006, this award became ‘Best Lead Actor In Television Drama’ – as a separate Comedy Performance Award was Introduced.

★ Best Lead Actor In A Telefeature

★ Best Actor In A Leading Role In A Telefeature Or Mini Series

★ Best Actor In A Leading Role In A Television Drama

★ Best Peformance By An Actor In A Telefeature Or Mini Series

★ Best Actor In A Leading Role In A Television Drama Or Comedy

★ Best Lead Actor In Television Drama

★ Best Peformance By An Actress In A Mini Series
In 1990, this award was merged with the actIng award for Telefeatures to become ‘Best Actress In a Leading Role In a Telefeature or Mini Series’, the name of which was changed In 1991 to ‘Best Actress In a Leading Role In a Television Drama’. In 2000, the Telefeature or Mini Series award was re-Introduced as a separate category. All awards combIned agaIn In 2002 under the title, ‘Best Actress In a Leading Role In a Television Drama’. In 2004, both awards merged to become ‘Best Actress In a Leading Role In a Television Drama or Comedy’.
In 2006, this award became ‘Best Lead Actress In Television Drama’– as a separate Comedy Performance Award was Introduced.

★ Best Lead Actress In A Telefeature

★ Best Actress In A Leading Role In A Telefeature Or Mini Series

★ Best Actress In A Leading Role In A Television Drama

★ Best Peformance By An Actress In A Telefeature Or Mini Series

★ Best Actress In A Leading Role In A Television Drama Or Comedy

★ Best Lead Actress In Television Drama

★ Best Peformance By An Actor In A Guest Role In A Television Drama Series
In 2002, this category was changed to ‘Best Actor In a Supporting or Guest Role In a Television Drama’, which In 2004 became ‘Best Actor In a Supporting or Guest Role In a Television Drama or Comedy’. In 2006, the Award became ‘Best Guest or Supporting Actor In Television Drama’ – as a separate Comedy Performance Award was Introduced.

★ Best Actor In A Supporting Or Guest Role In A Television Drama

★ Best Actor In A Supporting Or Guest Role In A Television Drama Or Comedy

★ Best Guest Or Supporting Actor In Television Drama

★ Best Peformance By An Actress In A Guest Role In A Television Drama
In 2002, this category was changed to ‘Best Actress In a Supporting or Guest Role In a Television Drama’, which In 2004 became ‘Best Actress In a Supporting or Guest Role In a Television Drama or Comedy’. In 2006, the Award became ‘Best Guest or Supporting Actress In Television Drama’ – as a separate Comedy Performance Award was Introduced.

★ Best Actress In A Supporting Or Guest Role In A Television Drama

★ Best Actress In A Supporting Or Guest Role In A Television Drama

★ Best Guest Or Supporting Actress In Television Drama

★ Best Peformance In Television Comedy (Introduced In 2006)

★ Open Craft Award In Television Drama
In 2004, this award became ‘Outstanding Achievement In Craft In Television’.

★ Outstanding Achievement In Craft In Television

★ Outstanding Achievement In Television Screen Craft

Awards in the non-feature film category

★ Best Documentary

★ Best Direction in a Documentary

★ Best Television Documentary

★ Best Sponsored Documentary

★ Best Short Animation

★ Best Short Fiction Film

★ Best Experimental Film

★ Best Screenplay in a Short Film

★ Best Cinematography in a Non-Feature Film Between 1962 and 1972, cinematography awards were made separately for black and white and colour films. This division ceased after 1973. In 2006, this Award became ‘Best Cinematography in a Documentary.’

★ Best Achievement in Sound in a Non-Feature Film In 2006, this Award became ‘Best Sound in a Documentary’.

★ Best Editing in a Non-Feature Film In 2006, this Award became ‘Best Editing in a Documentary’.

★ Open Craft Award In 2006, this Award became ‘Outstanding Achievement In Short Film Screen Craft’.
In 2006, Australian actor Geoffrey Rush hosted the AFI awards for the Nine Network.
In 2005, Australian actor Russell Crowe was the host of the awards, which, for many years had not been televised until some of Australia's finest performers stepped up to deliver the ceremony live to the Australian viewing audience.

Criticisms and Controversies

With censorship and political influence becoming more entrenched in the Australian public eye, more so since the AWB scandal and the controversial alleged ABC board stacking, this widespread interference and influence in the media is also seen to be prevalent in other
government and cultural agencies like international film festivals and awards events. See The Australian article “Noyce: hands off film industry’ and ‘Cultural exchange, just do it our way’ in The Age.
A case-in-point is the controversial decisions of the Australian Film Institute Awards in breaking its own rules. Kylie Miller of The Age in her article ''AFI drama over bent rule highlights'' how the AFI has angered the television industry by breaking its own rules to include an unscreened miniseries in the 2005 awards judging. ‘The controversy is a blow for the institute, which after years of criticism this year revamped its awards in an effort to restore credibility. Producer John Edwards, who collected seven nominations for Foxtel's Love My Way, did not enter a second drama series, The Surgeon, because it missed the screening
deadline.” If I'd known it was this flexible, of course I would have entered it," Edwards said. "Awards are useless if they break their own rules."’
On an international level, despite its critical international acclaim, the internationally multi-award winning feature documentary In the Shadow of the Palms was declined nomination for the AFI Awards. The feature documentary has been invited to over 50 international film festivals around the world, and is the first Australian feature in international competition at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival in 13 years, since Black Harvest by legendary filmmakers the late Robin Anderson and Bob Connelly.
In 2005 with the appointment of Susan MacKinnion of the Australian government’s Film Finacing Agncey - FFC as jury member, the AFI once again broke its own rule which states that jurors ‘should have no vested interest in any of the entries they will be voting on, and will be required to sign a statutory declaration confirming this fact’.
The alleged jury stacking has once again shone a distorted light on its credibility; on its tax-payer funded cultural event. International film festival directors have expressed dismay and surprise at the way in which artistic expression and opinion have been unofficially censored and suppressed in Australia, by the subversion of regulation for political effect.
AFIA has also been castigated for narrow selection of artists for award nominations and an unfair judging process (''ARIA Will Never Rock, Rhoderick Gates, Global Echo, 30th Oct, 06'').

External links

★ Official site

References

★ http://www.theage.com.au/news/film/afi-drama-over-bent-rules/2005/10/25/1130239521543.html


★ http://www.afi.org.au/latestnews/news_detailed.asp?id=48


★ http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/funding-withdrawn-from-jakarta-film-festival/2005/12/09/1134086807978.html