Australian Film Institute Awards

Infobox award
name = Australian Film Institute Awards


current_awards = 50th Australian Film Institute Awards
description = Excellence in Australian cinematic achievements
presenter = Australian Film Institute
country = AUS
year = 1958 (to honor achievements of 1957/1958)
website = www.afi.org.au/

The Australian Film Institute Awards (often abbreviated to AFI Awards) are awards of merit presented annually by the Australian Film Institute. The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors, actors and writers. It is the most prestigious awards ceremony for the Australian film and television industry.

The 50th Australian Film Institute Awards, honoring the best in films for 2008 will be held in 2008. The nominess will be announced in Sydney on the 29 October, 2008. As the industry were excited to celebrate the 50th Ceremony for the awards, the Australian Film Institute decided to announce 25 "contenders" that they would believe should or would get nominated for awards.

Award categories

Australian Film Institute Awards of Merit

pecial 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.
*International Award for Best Actor
*International Award for 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 SeriesIn 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 ScreenplayIn 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 Performance By An Actor In A Mini SeriesIn 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 Performance 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 Performance By An Actress In A Mini SeriesIn 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 Performance 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 Performance By An Actor In A Guest Role In A Television Drama SeriesIn 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 Performance By An Actress In A Guest Role In A Television DramaIn 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 Performance In Television Comedy (Introduced In 2006)
*Open Craft Award In Television DramaIn 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’.

Hosts / television coverage

* 2006 - 2007: Hosted by Geoffrey Rush, broadcasted on the Nine Network.
* 2005: Hosted by Russell Crowe, 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.
* 2004: Hosted by Peter Berner.
* 2003: Hosted by Tony Squires.
* 2002: Hosted by Paul McDermott.
* 2001: Hosted by Sigrid Thornton, John Doyle and Greig Pickhaver.
* 1999 - 2000: Hosted by Jonathan Biggins.
* 1998: Hosted by Mary Coustas.
* 1997: Hosted by Hugh Jackman.

Criticisms and Controversies

There have been controversial decisions of the Australian Film Institute Awards that have led to claims that it has broken 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 screeningdeadline.” 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."’

In 2005 with the appointment of Susan MacKinnion of the Australian government’s Film Financing Agency - FFC as jury member, the AFI was accused of again breaking 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’.Fact|date=January 2008

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

* [http://www.afi.org.au/ 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