2009 Australian Film Institute Awards Explained

2009 Australian Film Institute Awards
Date:	and Friday,
Site:	Regent Theatre, Melbourne
Host:	Julia Zemiro
Best Film:	Samson & Delilah
Best Direction:	Warwick Thornton
Best Direction Film:	Samson & Delilah
Best Actor:	Anthony LaPaglia
Best Actor Film:	Balibo
Best Actress:	Frances O'Connor
Best Actress Film:	Blessed
Most Wins:	Samson & Delilah (7)
Most Nominations:	Balibo (14)
Network:	Nine Network
Last:	2008
Last Link:	2008 Australian Film Institute Awards
Next:	2010
Next Link:	2010 Australian Film Institute Awards

The 51st Annual Australian Film Institute Awards ceremony, honouring the best in film and television acting achievements for 2009 in the cinema of Australia, took place over two nights on 5 December 2009 and 11 December 2009 at the Regent Theatre, Melbourne and broadcast on the Nine Network.^[1]

During the ceremonies, the Australian Film Institute presented Australian Film Institute Awards (AFI awards) in 40 categories, including feature films, television, animation, and documentary. The ceremony was hosted by Julia Zemiro of SBS's RocKwiz.

Nominations were announced on 28 October 2009, with Balibo receiving the most with 14 in total. A new award introduced in 2009 was for the highest grossing film, recognising box office figures exceeding $65 million in the previous 12 months.^{[2] [3] [4]}

Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface; with nominees thereafter.^{[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]}

AFI Film Awards

Samson and Delilah – Kath Shelper Balibo – Anthony LaPaglia, Dominic Purcell Beautiful Kate – Bryan Brown, Leah Churchill-Brown Blessed – Al Clark Mao's Last Dancer – Jane Scott Mary and Max – Melanie Coombs	Warwick Thornton – Samson and Delilah Bruce Beresford – Mao's Last Dancer Robert Connolly – Balibo Rachel Ward – Beautiful Kate
Best Original Screenplay	Best Adapted Screenplay
Warwick Thornton – Samson and Delilah Sarah Watt – My Year Without Sex Serhat Caradee – Cedar Boys Adam Elliot – Mary and Max	Robert Connolly, David Williamson – Balibo, based on the killing of the Balibo Five Rachel Ward – Beautiful Kate, based on the novel Beautiful Kate by Newton Thornburg Andrew Bovell, Patricia Cornelius, Melissa Reeves, Christos Tsiolkas – Blessed, based on the play Who's Afraid of the Working Class? by Andrew Bovell Jan Sardi – Mao's Last Dancer, based on the autobiographical novel of the same name by Li Cunxin
Best Lead Actor	Best Lead Actress
Anthony LaPaglia as Roger East – Balibo Rowan McNamara as Samson – Samson and Delilah Ben Mendelsohn as Ned Kendall – Beautiful Kate Hugo Weaving as Thomas Kev – Last Ride	Frances O'Connor as Rhonda – Blessed Marissa Gibson as Delilah – Samson and Delilah Sacha Horler as Natalie – My Year Without Sex Sophie Lowe as Kate – Beautiful Kate
Best Supporting Actor	Best Supporting Actress
Oscar Isaac as José Ramos-Horta – Balibo Bryan Brown as Bruce Kendall – Beautiful Kate Damon Gameau as Greg Shackleton – Balibo Brandon Walters as Nullah – Australia	Rachel Griffiths as Sally Kendall – Beautiful Kate Maeve Dermody as Toni – Beautiful Kate Mitjili Napanangka Gibson as Nana – Samson and Delilah Bea Viegas as Juliana – Balibo
Best Cinematography	Best Editing
Warwick Thornton – Samson and Delilah Andrew Commis – Beautiful Kate Greig Fraser – Last Ride Tristan Milani – Balibo	Nick Meyers – Balibo Jill Bilcock – Blessed Mark Warner – Mao's Last Dancer Roland Gallois – Samson and Delilah
Best Original Music Score	Best Sound
Christopher Gordon – Mao's Last Dancer David Hirschfelder – Australia Lisa Gerrard – Balibo Warwick Thornton – Samson and Delilah	Liam Egan, Tony Murtagh, Robert Sullivan, Yulia Akerholt, Les Fiddess – Samson and Delilah Wayne Pashley, Guntis Sics – Australia Sam Petty, Emma Bortignon, Phil Heywood, Ann Aucote – Balibo David Lee, Andrew Neil, Yulia Akerholt, Mark Franken, Roger Savage – Mao's Last Dancer
Best Production Design	Best Costume Design
Catherine Martin, Ian Gracie, Karen Murphy, Beverley Dunn – Australia Robert Cousins – Balibo Herbert Pinter – Mao's Last Dancer Adam Elliot – Mary and Max	Catherine Martin, Eliza Godman – Australia Cappi Ireland – Balibo Mariot Kerr – Lucky Country Anna Borghesi – Mao's Last Dancer

AFI Television Awards

AFI Award for Outstanding Achievement in Television Screen Craft

• Luke Jurevicius. Figaro Pho. For "Creative Excellence"

AFI Non-Feature Film Awards

Best Feature Length Documentary	Best Documentary Under One Hour
– Scott Hicks, Susanne Preissler Bastardy – Philippa Campey, Amiel Courtin-Wilson, Lynn-Maree Milburn, Andrew de Groot The Choir – Chris Hilton, Michael Davie Lionel – Lizzette Atkins	Solo – Jennifer Peedom The Love Market – Shalom Almond Salt – Michael Angus Tackling Peace – Marc Radomsky
Best Documentary Series	Best Direction in a Documentary
First Australians – Darren Dale, Rachel Perkins, Helen Panckhurst Beyond Kokoda – Stig Schnell, Shaun Gibbons Once Bitten – Beth Frey, Janette Howe Voices from the Cape – David Selvarajah Vadiveloo, Anna Kaplan	The Choir – Michael Davie Bastardy – Amiel Courtin-Wilson First Australians (Episode 4: "There is No Other Law") – Rachel Perkins The Love Market – Shalom Almond
Best Cinematography in a Documentary	Best Editing in a Documentary
Cracking the Colour Code (Episode 2: "Making Colours") – Ian Batt, Vincent Fooy Beyond Kokoda ("Buying Time") – Stig Schnell, Shaun Gibbons, Brett Murphy, Ben Nunney My Asian Heart – David Bradbury Salt – Murray Fredericks	How Kevin Bacon Cured Cancer – Zen Rosenthal Bastardy – Bill Murphy, Jack Hutchings, Richard Lowenstein Cracking the Colour Code (Episode 2: "Making Colours") – Lawrie Silvestrin Yes Madam, Sir – Megan Doneman, Annie Collins
Best Sound in a Documentary	Best Short Fiction Film
Intangible Asset Number 82 – Matthew Ferris, Michael Gissing, Andrew McGrath The Choir – Sam Hayward, Phil Judd, Felicity Fox, Alli Heynes, Phil Vail, David White – Stephen R. Smith, Peter Smith, Tom Heuzenroeder, Adrian Medhurst Lionel – Nick Batterham, Keith Thomas, Cezary Skubiszewski	Miracle Fish – Drew Bailey, Luke Doolan Burn – Anna Kaplan, David Selvarajah Vadiveloo Liebermans in the Sky – Jessica Redenbach, Richard Vilensky Water – Sarah Shaw, Corrie Jones
Best Short Animation	Best Screenplay in a Short Film
The Cat Piano – Jessica Brentnall, Eddie White, Ari Gibson Chicken of God – Jodi Satya, Frank Woodley The Not-so-Great Eugene Green – Melanie Brunt, Michael Hill Reach – Luke Randall	Miracle Fish – Luke Doolan Boxer – Michael Latham Liebermans in the Sky – Richard Vilensky Water – Corrie Jones, Sarah Shaw, Ian Meadows

AFI Award for Outstanding Achievement in Short Film Screen Craft

• Andrew McLeod. Water. For "Cinematography"

Additional awards

AFI Members' Choice Award	News Limited Readers' Choice Award
Samson & Delilah – Kath Shelper Australia – Baz Luhrmann, G. Mac Brown, Catherine Knapman Balibo – John Maynard, Rebecca Williamson Beautiful Kate – Leah Churchill-Brown, Bryan Brown Mao's Last Dancer – Jane Scott Mary and Max – Melanie Coombs	Mao's Last Dancer – Jane Scott Australia – Baz Luhrmann, G. Mac Brown, Catherine Knapman Charlie & Boots – David Redman, Dean Murphy, Shana Levine Samson & Delilah – Kath Shelper
Best Young Actor	Best Visual Effects
Marissa Gibson & Rowan McNamara – Samson & Delilah Brandon Walters – Australia Sebastian Gregory – Beautiful Toby Wallace – Lucky Country	Australia – Chris Godfrey, James E. Price, Andy Brown, Rob Duncan Death of the Megabeasts – Matt Drummond, Mike Dunn Plastic – Sandy Widyanata, Eric So, Mathew Mackereth, Christopher Jackson Scorched – Bertrand Polivka, Soren Jensen
International Award for Best Actor	International Award for Best Actress
Russell Crowe – State of Play Martin Henderson – House Anthony LaPaglia – Without a Trace Guy Pearce – Bedtime Stories	Toni Collette – United States of Tara (Season 1) Rose Byrne – Damages Melissa George – In Treatment Mia Wasikowska – In Treatment
Highest Grossing Film Award	Best Screen Content Innovation
Australia – Marc Wooldridge, Baz Luhrmann, G. Mac Brown, Catherine Knapman, Paul Watters, Stuart Beattie, Ronald Harwood, Richard Flanagan Charlie & Boots – Andrew Mackie, Michael Selwyn, David Redman, Dean Murphy, Shana Levine, Stewart Faichney Mao's Last Dancer – Joel Pearlman, Troy Lum, Jane Scott, Bruce Beresford, Jan Sardi	Gallipoli: The First Day – Sam Doust, Meena Tharmarajah, Astrid Scott* Forlorn Gaze – Sarah-Jane Woulahan Scarygirl – Sophie Byrne, Nathan Jurevicius Scorched – Ellenor Cox, Marcus Gillezeau

AFI International Award for Excellence in Filmmaking

• Nathan McGuinness. Senior Visual Effects Supervisor

*presented at the AFI Outstanding Achievement Dinner in August.

Individual awards

AFI Raymond Longford Award*

• Geoffrey Rush

Byron Kennedy Award

• Ray Brown

*presented at the AFI Outstanding Achievement Dinner in August.

Multiple nominations

• Fourteen: Balibo
• Thirteen: Samson and Delilah
• Ten: Beautiful Kate
• Nine: Mao's Last Dancer
• Eight: Australia

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2009-12-14 . AFI award winners announced . 2023-12-20 . IF Magazine . en-AU.
2. Web site: Quinn . Karl . 2009-10-28 . Balibo, Samson & Delilah top AFI nominations . 2023-12-20 . The Sydney Morning Herald . en.
3. News: Collins . Antonette . 2009-10-28 . Balibo scores 14 AFI nominations . en-AU . ABC News . 2023-12-20.
4. Web site: 2009-10-28 . AFI awards nominations announced . 2023-12-20 . IF Magazine . en-AU.
5. Web site: Winners & Nominees . 2023-12-20 . www.aacta.org . en-AU.
6. News: Price . Alison . 2009-12-12 . Samson And Delilah sweeps AFI Awards . en-AU . ABC News . 2023-12-20.
7. News: Price . Alison . 2009-12-12 . Underbelly dominates AFI TV Awards . en-AU . ABC News . 2023-12-20.
8. News: Raschella . Adrian . 2009-12-11 . Australia scoops AFI Industry Awards . en-AU . ABC News . 2023-12-20.
9. Web site: 2009-12-14 . From AFI Awards to Oscars for Samson & Delilah . 2023-12-20 . The Age . en.