australian television information archive

The 2008 AFI Awards were presented at Melbourne's Princess Theatre on December 05 & 06, 2008

International Nominations

AFI International Award for Best Actor

• Eric Bana - The Other Boleyn Girl
• Russell Crowe - American Gangster
• Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
• Jack Thompson - Leatherheads

AFI International Award for Best Actress

• Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
• Judy Davis - The Starter Wife - Network Ten
• Rachel Griffiths - Brothers & Sisters - Seven Network
• Nicole Kidman - The Golden Compass

AFI International Award for Excellence in Filmaking

• Peter James ACS, ASC

Nominations for Feature Films

Best Film

• The Black Balloon
• The Jammed
• The Square
• Unfinished Sky

Best Direction

• The Black Balloon - Elissa Down
• The Jammed - Dee McLachlan
• The Square - Nash Edgerton
• Unfinished Sky - Peter Duncan

Best Original Screenplay

• The Black Balloon - Elissa Down & Jimmy The Exploder
• Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger - Cathy Randall
• The Jammed - Dee McLachlan
• The Square - Joel Edgerton & Matthew Dabner

Best Adapted Screenplay

• All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane - Stephen Vagg
• Unfinished Sky - Peter Duncan

Best Lead Actor

• Rhys Wakefield - The Black Balloon
• Guy Pearce - Death Defying Acts
• David Roberts - The Square
• William McInnes - Unfinished Sky

Best Lead Actress

• Noni Hazlehurst - Bitter & Twisted
• Emma Lung - The Jammed
• Veronica Sywak - The Jammed
• Monic Hendrickx - Unfinished Sky

Best Supporting Actor

• Luke Ford - The Black Balloon
• Erik Thomson - The Black Balloon
• Joel Edgerton - The Square
• Anthony Hayes - The Square

Best Supporting Actress

• Leeanna Walsman - Bitter & Twisted
• Toni Collette - The Black Balloon
• Maeve Dermody - Black Water
• Saskia Burmeister - The Jammed

Best Cinematography

• The Black Balloon - Denson Baker ACS
• Death Defying Acts - Haris Zambarloukos BSC
• The Tender Hook - Geoffrey Simpson ACS
• Unfinished Sky - Robert Humphreys ACS

Best Editing

• The Black Balloon - Veronika Jenet ASE
• Black Water
• The Jammed
• Unfinished Sky

Best Original Music Score

• The Black Balloon - Michael Yezerski
• The Square - Francois Tetaz & Ben Lee
• The Tender Hook - Chris Abrahams
• Unfinished Sky - Antony Partos

Best Production Design

• Children of the Silk Road - Steven Jones-Evans
• Death Defying Acts - Gemma Jackson
• The Tender Hook - Peter Baxter
• Unfinished Sky - Laurie Faen

Best Costume Design

• Children of the Silk Road - Wenyan Gao & Kym Barrett
• Death Defying Acts - Susannah Buxton
• Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger - Shareen Beringer
• The Tender Hook - Cappi Ireland

Best Sound

• The Black Balloon - Ben Osmo & Paul Pirola
• Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger - Liam Egan, Tony Murtagh, Phil Judd MPSE & Des Kenneally
• The Tender Hook - Liam Egan, Tony Murtagh, Phil Judd MPSE & Gary Wilkins
• Unfinished Sky - Andrew Plain, Annie Breslin & Will Ward

Nominations for Non-Feature Films

Best Documentary (awarded to Producer)

• Beyond Our Ken - Luke Walker
• Not Quite Hollywood - Craig Griffin & Michael Lynch
• The Oasis - Ian Darling
• Rare Chicken Rescue - Vickie Gest

Best Direction in a Documentary

• Beyond Our Ken - Melissa Maclean & Luke Walker
• The Oasis - Ian Darling & Sascha Ettinger Epstein
• Rachel: A Perfect Life - Fiona Cochrane
• Rare Chicken Rescue - Randall Wood

Best Cinematography in a Documentary

• A Northern Town - Andrew Commis & Rachel Landers
• Bomb Harvest - Kim Mordaunt
• Night - Laurie McInnes
• Rare Chicken Rescue - Randall Wood

Best Editing in a Documentary

• Not Quite Hollywood - Jamie Blanks, Sara Edwards & Mark Hartley
• The Oasis - Sally Fryer
• Rare Chicken Rescue - Scott Walton
• The Siege - Stewart Young ASE

Best Sound in a Documentary

• Fairweather Man - Ben Crane, Michael Gissing, Guy Gross & Mike Jones
• The Oasis - Felicity Fox & Michael Gissing
• Rare Chicken Rescue - Brett Aplin, Greg Docwra & John Willsteed
• The Siege - Ian McLoughlin, Antony Partos & David White

Best Short Animation Film (awarded to Producers)

• Chainsaw - Fiona Cochrane & Dennis Tupicoff
• Dog With Electric Collar - Steve Baker & Damon Escott
• Mutt - Beth Frey & Glen Hunwick
• Paper City Architects - Daniel Agdag

Best Short Fiction Film (Awarded to the Producers)

• fOUR - Zyra McAuliffe & Erin White
• Jerrycan - Stuart Parkyn & Julius Avery
• The Ground Beneath - Kristina Ceyton & Rene Hernandez
• My Rabit Hoppy - Anthony Lucas

Best Screenplay in a Short Fiction Film

• 296 Smith Street - John Evagora
• Chainsaw - Dennis Tupicoff
• fOUR - Erin White
• The Ground Beneath - Rene Hernandez

Outstanding Achievement in Short Fiction Film Screen Craft

• Xanthe Highfield. Production Design - fOUR

Nominations for Television Drama

Best Television Drama Series

• City Homicide (Series 2) - MaryAnne Carroll - Seven Network
• Rush - John Edwards & Mimi Butler - Network Ten
• Satisfaction - Andrew Walker & Roger Simpson - Showcase
• Underbelly - Greg Haddrick & Brenda Pam - Nine Network

Best Telefeature Or Mini-Series

• Bed of Roses - Stephen Luby & Mark Ruse - ABC
• East West 101 - Steve Knapman & Kris Wyld - SBS
• Rain Shadow - Gus Howard - ABC
• Valentines Day - Tony Wright - ABC

Best Television Comedy Series

• Chandon Pictures - Rob Carlton - Movie Network
• The Hollowmen - Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner & Rob Sitch - ABC
• The Librarians - Wayne Hope & Robyn Butler - ABC
• Summer Heights High - Chris Lilley & Laura Waters - ABC

Best Light Entertainment Television Series

• Enough Rope with Andrew Denton - Bernice Toni, Polly Connolly, Jon Casimir & Megan Brownlow - ABC
• The Gruen Transfer - Jo Wathen & Jon Casimir - ABC
• RocKwiz - Ken Connor, Joe Connor, Peter Bain-Hogg & Brian Nankervis - SBS
• Spicks and Specks (Series 4) - Anthony Watt - ABC

Best Children’s Television Drama

• Animalia - Ewan Burnett & Murray Pope - Network Ten
• Blue Water High (Series 3) - Noel Price & Dennis Kiely - ABC
• Double Trouble - Rachel Clements & Terry Jennings - Nine Network
• H2O - Just Add Water (Series 2) - Jonathan M Shiff & Joanna Werner - Network Ten

Best Direction In Television

• East West 101 (Episode 2, Death at the Station) Peter Andrikidis - SBS
• Satisfaction (Episode 5, Truth) Daina Reid - Showcase
• Summer Heights High (Episode 8) Stuart McDonald - ABC
• Underbelly (Episode 7, Wise Monkeys) Peter Andrikidis - Nine Network

Best Screenplay In Television

• Dogstar (Episode 26) Philip Dalkin - Nine Network
• East West 101 (Episode 2, Death at the Station) Kris Wyld - SBS
• The Hollowmen (Episode 1, Fat Chance) Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner & Rob Sitch - ABC
• Underbelly (Episode 2, The Sorcerer's Apprentice) Peter Gawler - Nine Network

Best Lead Actor in Television Drama

• Don Hany - East West 101 - SBS
• William McInnes - East West 101 - SBS
• Callan Mulvey - Rush - Network Ten
• Gyton Grantley - Underbelly - Nine Network

Best Lead Actress in Television Drama

• Phoebe Tonkin - H2O - Just Add Water (Series 2) - Network Ten
• Diana Glenn - Satisfaction - Showcase
• Alison Whyte - Satisfaction - Showcase
• Kat Stewart - Underbelly - Nine Network

Best Guest or Supporting Actor in Television Drama

• Gary Files - Dogstar (Episode 26) Nine Network
• Taffy Hany - East West 101 (Episode 1, The Enemy Within) SBS
• Vince Colosimo - Underbelly (Episode 2, The Sorcerer's Apprentice) Nine Network
• Damian Walshe-Howling - Underbelly (Episode 7, Wise Monkeys) Nine Network

Best Guest or Supporting Actress in Television Drama

• Hanna Mangan-Lawrence - Bed of Roses (Episode 1, Not Worth a Cent) ABC
• Amanda Muggleton - City Homicide (Series 1: Episode 3, Lie Down With Dogs) Seven Network
• Brittany Byrnes - H2O - Just Add Water (Series 2: Episode 25, Sea Change) Network Ten
• Madeleine West - Underbelly (Episode 7, Wise Monkeys) Nine Network

Best Performance in Television Comedy

• Rob Carlton - Chandon Pictures - Movie Network
• Rob Sitch - The Hollowmen - ABC
• Robyn Butler - The Librarians - ABC
• Chris Lilley - Summer Heights High - ABC

Outstanding Achievement in Television Screen Craft

• Steve Evans. Editing - Underbelly - Nine Network

AFI Young Actor Award

• Danielle Catanzariti - Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger
• Tom Green - The Ground Beneath
• Saoirse Ronan - Death Defying Acts
• Clarence John Ryan - September

Visual Effects Award

• Death Defying Acts - James Rogers
• Double The Fist (Series 2) - Doug Bayne, Adam MacGowan, Michael Blake & Bill McGuire - ABC
• Gabriel - Matthew Graham & Steve Anderson
• H2O - Just Add Water (Series 2) - Barry Lanfranchi - Network Ten

Byron Kennedy Award

• Chris Lilley

AFI Longford Life Achievement Award

• Dione Gilmour

Australia's Favourite Film

• The Castle

News Limited Readers' Choice Award

• Hugh Jackman