The AACTA Award for Best Film is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) at the annual AACTA Awards, which hand out accolades for achievements in feature film, television, documentaries, and short films. The inaugural award was presented in 1969 by the Australian Film Institute, becoming a competitive award in 1976. Since 2011 it has awarded by the Academy, established by the AFI in 2010.
From 2016 until 2020, the category adopted the name of its sponsor, Foxtel, as category name, being called AACTA Award for Best Film Presented by Foxtel. History From 1969 to 2010, the category was presented by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), the Academy's parent organisation, at the annual Australian Film Institute Awards (known as the AFI Awards). When the AFI launched the Academy in 2011, it changed the annual ceremony to the AACTA Awards, with the current award being a continuum of the AFI Award for Best Film. From 2016 until 2020 it was named after its sponsor, and named "AACTA Award for Best Film Presented by Foxtel".
From 1969 to 1975, the award was presented as a gold, silver, bronze or grand prix prize, or in some years, a cash prize.
The first winner, Jack and Jill: A Postscript, was nominated in the "general" category of the 1969 awards, and received a silver prize. Because non-feature films dominated the Australian film industry at that time, the film was submitted in the general category. Despite this, it is considered the first winner by the Academy. From the 1976 Australian Film Awards, the award became competitive, and has been given as such since then.
Eligibility To be eligible, the film must be Australian; consist of a dramatised story of at least 70 minutes duration; and be publicly exhibited in a commercial cinema for a minimum of seven consecutive days, in at least two capital cities (one of which is Sydney or Melbourne). The producer of the film is considered the nominee, and is presented the award upon winning.
Description The AACTA Award for Best film is presented by AACTA, a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote, and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film and television". The award is presented at the annual AACTA Awards, which hand out accolades for achievements in feature film, television, documentaries and short films.
Winners and nominees In the following table, the years listed correspond to the year of film release; the ceremonies are usually held the same year. Films in bold and in dark blue background have received a gold, silver, bronze or grand prix prize, or a cash prize; those in bold and in yellow background have won a regular competitive award. Films that are neither highlighted nor in bold are the nominees. When sorted chronologically, the table always lists the winning film first and then the other nominees.Winners and nominees by year: 1969: 1970: 1971: 1972: 1973: 1974–75: 1976: 1977: 1978: 1979: 1980: 1981: 1982: 1983: 1984: 1985: 1986: 1987: 1988: 1989: 1990: 1991: 1992: 1993: 1994: 1995: 1996: 1997: 1998: 1999: 2000: 2001: 2002: 2003: 2004: 2005: 2006: 2007: 2008: 2009: 2010: 2011: 2012: 2013: 2014: Additional winners and nominees references:
AFI Awards (1969–2010)AACTA Awards (2011–present)1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Year Film Producer(s) AFI Awards 1960s 1969(11th) Jack and Jill: A Postscript Phillip Adams and Brian Robinson 1970s 1970(12th) Three to Go: Michael Gil Brealey 1971(13th) Homesdale Grahame Bond and Richard Brennan 1972(14th) Stork Tim Burstall 1973(15th) 27A Haydn Keenan Libido: The Child Christopher Muir and John B. Murray 1974–75(16th and 17th) Sunday Too Far Away Gil Brealey and Matt Carroll Petersen Tim Burstall Between Wars Michael Thornhill 1976(18th) The Devil's Playground Fred Schepisi Caddie Anthony Buckley Picnic at Hanging Rock Hal and Jim McElroy Pure Shit Bob Weis 1977(19th) Storm Boy Matt Carroll Break of Day Patricia Lovell Don's Party Phillip Adams The Picture Show Man Joan Long 1978(20th) Newsfront David Elfick The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Fred Schepisi Mouth to Mouth John Duigan and Jon Sainken Patrick Richard Franklin and Antony I. Ginnane 1979(21st) My Brilliant Career Margaret Fink Cathy's Child Pom Oliver and Errol Sullivan In Search of Anna Esben Storm Mad Max Byron Kennedy 1980s 1980(22nd) Breaker Morant Matt Carroll Manganinnie Gilda Baracchi ...Maybe This Time Brian Kavanagh Stir Richard Brennan 1981(23rd) Gallipoli Patricia Lovell and Robert Stigwood The Club Matt Carroll Winter of Our Dreams Richard Mason Wrong Side of the Road Graeme Isaac and Ned Lander 1982(24th) Lonely Hearts John B. Murray Goodbye Paradise Jane Scott Monkey Grip Patricia Lovell We of the Never Never Greg Tepper and John B. Murray 1983(25th) Careful, He Might Hear You Jill Robb Man of Flowers Jane Ballantyne and Paul Cox Phar Lap John Sexton The Year of Living Dangerously Jim McElroy 1984(26th) Annie's Coming Out Don Murray My First Wife Jane Ballantyne and Paul Cox Silver City Joan Long Strikebound Miranda Bain, Richard Lowenstein and Timothy White 1985(27th) Bliss Anthony Buckley Fran David Rapsey A Street to Die Bill Bennett Unfinished Business Rebel Penfold-Russell 1986(28th) Malcolm Nadia Tass and David Parker The Fringe Dwellers Sue Milliken The More Things Change... Jill Robb Short Changed Ross Matthews 1987(29th) The Year My Voice Broke Terry Hayes, George Miller and Doug Mitchell Ground Zero Michael Pattinson High Tide Sandra Levy The Tale of Ruby Rose Bryce Menzies and Andrew Wiseman 1988(30th) The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey David Elfick Boulevard of Broken Dreams Frank Howson Grievous Bodily Harm Richard Brennan Mull D. Howard Grigsby 1989(31st) Evil Angels Verity Lambert Dead Calm Terry Hayes, George Miller and Doug Mitchell Ghosts... of the Civil Dead Evan English Island Paul Cox and Santhana K. Naidu 1990s 1990(32nd) Flirting Terry Hayes, George Miller and Doug Mitchell The Big Steal Nadia Tass and David Parker Blood Oath Charles Waterstreet and Denis Whitburn Struck by Lightning Terry J. Charatsis and Trevor Farrant 1991(33rd) Proof Lynda House Death in Brunswick Timothy White Dingo Rolf de Heer, Giorgio Draskovic, Marie-Pascale Osterrieth and Marc Rosenberg Spotswood Richard Brennan and Timothy White 1992(34th) Strictly Ballroom Tristram Miall Black Robe Robert Lantos, Sue Milliken and Stéphane Reichel The Last Days of Chez Nous Jan Chapman Romper Stomper Ian Pringle and Daniel Scharf 1993(35th) The Piano Jan Chapman The Heartbreak Kid Ben Gannon Map of the Human Heart Tim Bevan and Vincent Ward On My Own Leo Pescarolo and Elisa Resegotti 1994(36th) Muriel's Wedding Lynda House and Jocelyn Moorhouse The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Al Clark and Michael Hamlyn Bad Boy Bubby Rolf de Heer, Domenico Procacci and Giorgio Draskovic The Sum of Us Hal McElroy 1995(37th) Angel Baby Jonathan Shteinman and Timothy White All Men Are Liars John Maynard Hotel Sorrento Richard Franklin and Peter Fitzpatrick That Eye, the Sky Hal McElroy 1996(37th) Shine Jane Scott Children of the Revolution Tristram Miall Love and Other Catastrophes Helen Bandis, Stavros Kazantzidis and Yael Bergman Mr. Reliable Hal McElroy 1997(39th) Kiss or Kill Bill Bennett Blackrock David Elfick, Rick Enright and Melanie Ritchie Doing Time for Patsy Cline Chris Kennedy The Well Sandra Levy 1998(40th) The Interview Bill Hughes The Boys Robert Connolly and John Maynard Head On Jane Scott Radiance Ned Lander and Andy Myer 1999(41st) Two Hands Marian Macgowan Praise Martha Coleman Siam Sunset Max Dann and Andrew Knight Soft Fruit Helen Bowden 2000s 2000(42nd) Looking for Alibrandi Robyn Kershaw Better Than Sex Frank Cox and Bruna Papandrea Bootmen Hilary Linstead Chopper Michele Bennett 2001(43rd) Lantana Jan Chapman The Bank John Maynard The Dish Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Michael Hirsh, Jane Kennedy and Rob Sitch Moulin Rouge! Baz Luhrmann, Fred Baron and Martin Brown 2002(44th) Rabbit-Proof Fence Phillip Noyce, Christine Olsen and John Winter Australian Rules Mark Lazarus Beneath Clouds Teresa-Jayne Hanlon The Tracker Julie Ryan and Rolf de Heer 2003(45th) Japanese Story Sue Maslin Alexandra's Project Rolf de Heer and Antonio Zeccola Gettin' Square Martin Fabinyi, Timothy White and Trisha Lake The Rage in Placid Lake Marian McGowan 2004(46th) Somersault Anthony Anderson Love's Brother Jane Scott The Old Man Who Read Love StoriesJulie Ryan Tom White Daniel Scharf 2005(47th) Look Both Ways Bridget Ikin, Barbara Masel and Andrew Myer Little Fish Robert Mullis, Devesh Chetty and Kirk D'amico Oyster Farmer Anthony Buckley and Piers Tempest The Proposition Chris Brown, Jackie O'Sullivan, Chiara Menage and Cat Villiers 2006(48th) Ten Canoes Rolf de Heer and Julie Ryan Candy Margaret Fink and Emile Sherman Jindabyne Philippa Bateman, Garry Charny and Catherine Jarman Kenny Clayton Jacobson and Rohan Timlock 2007(49th) Romulus, My Father Robert Connolly and John Maynard The Home Song Stories Michael McMahon and Liz Watts Lucky Miles Jo Dyer and Lesley Dyer Noise Trevor Blainey 2008(50th) The Black Balloon Tristram Miall The Jammed Dee McLachlan and Andrea Buck The Square Louise Smith Unfinished Sky Cathy Overett and Anton Smit 2009(51st) Samson and Delilah Kath Shelper Balibo Anthony LaPaglia, John Maynard, Dominic Purcell and Rebecca Williamson Beautiful Kate Bryan Brown, Leah Churchill-Brown Blessed Al Clark, Barbara Gibbs, Phil Hunt, Marian Macgowan and Compton Ross Mao's Last Dancer Jane Scott Mary and Max Melanie Coombs 2010s 2010(52nd) Animal Kingdom Liz Watts Beneath Hill 60 Bill Leimbach Bran Nue Dae Robyn Kershaw and Graeme Isaac Bright Star Jan Chapman and Caroline Hewitt Tomorrow, When the War Began Andrew Mason and Michael Boughen The Tree Sue Taylor and Yael Fogiel AACTA Awards 2011(1st) Red Dog Nelson Woss and Julie Ryan The Eye of the Storm Antony Waddington, Gregory J. Read and Fred Schepisi The Hunter Vincent Sheehan Mad Bastards David Jowsey, Alan Pigram, Stephen Pigram and Brendan Fletcher Oranges and Sunshine Camilla Bray, Emile Sherman and Iain Canning Snowtown Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw 2012(2nd) The Sapphires Rosemary Blight and Kylie du Fresne Burning Man Andy Paterson and Jonathan Teplitzky Lore Karsten Stöter, Liz Watts, Paul Welsh and Benny Drechsel Wish You Were Here Angie Fielder 2013(3rd) The Great Gatsby Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher and Catherine Knapman Dead Europe Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Liz Watts Mystery Road David Jowsey The Rocket Sylvia Wilczynski Satellite Boy David Jowsey, Julie Ryan and Catriona McKenzie The Turning Robert Connolly, Maggie Miles and The Turning Ensemble 2014(4th) The Babadook Kristina Ceyton and Kristian Molière The Water Diviner Andrew Mason, Troy Lum and Keith Rodger Charlie's Country Nils Erik Nielsen, Peter Djigirr and Rolf de Heer Predestination Paddy McDonald, Tim McGahan, Peter Spierig and Michael Spierig The Railway Man Chris Brown, Andy Paterson and Bill Curbishley Tracks Emile Sherman and Iain Canning 2015(5th)Winners & Nominees | AACTA Mad Max: Fury Road Doug Mitchell, P. J. Voeten and George Miller The Dressmaker Sue Maslin Holding the Man Kylie du Fresne Last Cab to Darwin Greg Duffy, Lisa Duff and Jeremy Sims Paper Planes Robert Connolly, Maggie Miles and Liz Kearney Hacksaw Ridge | Bill Mechanic, David Permut, Paul Currie and Bruce Davey|- | The Daughter | Jan Chapman and Nicole O’Donohue |- | Girl Asleep | Jo Dyer |- | Goldstone | David Jowsey and Greer Simpkin |- | Tanna | Martin Butler, Bentley Dean and Carolyn Johnson |- |rowspan=6| |- style="background:#FAEB86"