The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Screenplay (Original or Adapted) was an award presented intermittently by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), for an Australian screenplay written directly for the screen or based on previously released or published material. It was handed out at the Australian Film Institute Awards (known commonly as the AFI Awards), which are now the AACTA Awards after the establishment of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), by the AFI. The award was handed out from 1975–1977, 1980–1982, 1990–1992, and again in 2007; two separate awards were created for "Best Adapted Screenplay" and "Best Original Screenplay" and have been presented intermittently from 1978–1979, 1983–1989, 1993–2006, and then from 2008, onwards. The award was first presented at the 1974-75 awards as a film prize which included a cash reward of $A1000.
Winners and nominees In the following table, films and screenwriters listed in bold, and in a blue background have received the special award; those listed in boldface and highlighted in gold are the winners of the competitive awards. Films and screenwriters that are not in boldface or highlighted are the nominees.Winners and nominees by year: 1974-75: 1976: 1977: 1980: 1981: 1982: 1990: 1991: 1992: 2000: 2007:
Year Film Screenwriter(s) 1974-75(17th) Petersen David Williamson 1976(18th) The Devil's Playground Fred Schepisi 1976(18th) The Trespassers John Duigan 1976(18th) Picnic at Hanging Rock Cliff Green 1976(18th) Caddie Joan Long 1977(19th) Don's Party David Williamson 1977(19th) Storm Boy Sonia Borg 1977(19th) The Fourth Wish Michael Craig 1977(19th) The Picture Show Man Joan Long 1980(22nd) Breaker Morant Jonathan Hardy, David Stevens and Bruce Beresford 1980(22nd) Hard Knocks Hilton Bonner and Don McLennan 1980(22nd) ...Maybe This Time Anne Brooksbank and Bob Ellis 1980(22nd) Stir Bob Jewson 1981(23rd) Gallipoli David Williamson 1981(23rd) Hoodwink Ken Quinnell 1981(23rd) The Club David Williamson 1981(23rd) Winter of Our Dreams John Duigan 1982(24th) Goodbye Paradise Bob Ellis and Denny Lawrence 1982(24th) Lonely Hearts Paul Cox and John Clarke 1982(24th) Moving Out Jan Sardi 1982(24th) We of the Never Never Peter Schreck 1990(32nd) The Big Steal David Parker 1990(32nd) Blood Oath Denis Whitburn and Brian A. Williams 1990(32nd) Golden Braid Paul Cox and Barry Dickins 1990(32nd) Struck by Lightning Trevor Farrant 1991(33rd) Proof Jocelyn Moorhouse 1991(33rd) A Woman's Tale Paul Cox and Barry Dickins 1991(33rd) Death in Brunswick John Ruane and Boyd Oxlade 1991(33rd) Spotswood Max Dann and Andrew Knight 1992(34th) Strictly Ballroom Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce 1992(34th) Black Robe Brian Moore 1992(34th) Greenkeeping David Caesar 1992(34th) The Last Days of Chez Nous Helen Garner 2000(42nd) Russian Doll (film) Stavros Kazantzidis and Allanah Zitserman 2000(42nd) Better Than Sex Jonathan Teplitzky 2000(42nd) Me, Myself, I Pip Karmel 2000(42nd) My Mother Frank Mark Lamprell 2007(49th) The Home Song Stories Tony Ayres 2007(49th) Clubland Keith Thompson 2007(49th) Lucky Miles Helen Barnes and Michael James Rowland 2007(49th) Noise Matthew Saville 2007(49th) Romulus, My Father Nick Drake 2019(61st) The Nightingale Jennifer Kent 2019(61st) The King David Michôd, Joel Edgerton 2019(61st) Judy And Punch Mirrah Foulkes 2019(61st) Hotel Mumbai John Collee, Anthony Maras 2020(62nd) Babyteeth Rita Kalnejais 2020(62nd) Little Monsters Abe Forsythe 2020(62nd) The Invisible Man Leigh Whannell 2020(62nd) Relic Natalie Erika James, Christian White 2020(62nd) True History of the Kelly Gang Shaun Grant
References
External links The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Official website Australian Film Institute: Past Winners Page