The AACTA Award for Best Cinematography is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (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. From 1976 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 Cinematography.
Best Cinematography was first presented in 1976 Australian Film Institute Awards with the winner being chosen by the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS). The award is presented to the cinematographer of a film that is Australian-made, or with a significant amount of Australian content. Russell Boyd, Simon Duggan, Peter James, Donald McAlpine and Geoffrey Simpson have won the award three times each, more than any other cinematographer. Boyd has received the most nominations with nine.
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. The films and cinematographers in bold and in yellow background have won are the winners. Those 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. Note: User must select years listed on page to view winners of that decade/year.Additional winners and nominees references:
AFI Awards (1976-2010)AACTA Awards (2011-present)1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
Year Film Cinematographer(s) AFI Awards 1970s 1976(18th) The Devil's Playground Ian Baker Illuminations Brian Gracey and Paul Cox Picnic at Hanging Rock Russell Boyd Polly Me Love David Gribble 1977(19th) Break of Day Russell Boyd Raw Deal Vincent Monton Storm Boy Geoff Burton Summer of Secrets Russell Boyd 1978(20th) The Last Wave Russell Boyd The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Ian Baker The Mango Tree Brian Probyn Newsfront Vincent Monton 1979(21st) My Brilliant Career Donald McAlpine In Search of Anna Michael Edols Mad Max David Eggby Snapshot Vincent Monton 1980s 1980(22nd) Breaker Morant Donald McAlpine The Chain Reaction Russell Boyd Manganinnie Gary Hansen Stir Geoff Burton 1981(23rd) Gallipoli Russell Boyd The Club Donald McAlpine Roadgames Vincent Monton The Survivor John Seale 1982(24th) We of the Never Never Gary Hansen Mad Max 2 Dean Semler The Man from Snowy River Keith Wagstaff Monkey Grip David Gribble 1983(25th) Careful, He Might Hear You John Seale Man of Flowers Yuri Sokol Undercover Dean Semler The Year of Living Dangerously Russell Boyd 1984(26th) Razorback Dean Semler My First Wife Yuri Sokol Silver City John Seale Strikebound Andrew de Groot 1985(27th) Rebel Peter James Bliss Paul Murphy The Coca-Cola Kid Dean Semler Wrong World Ray Argall 1986(28th) The Right-Hand Man Peter James Burke & Wills Russell Boyd The Fringe Dwellers Donald McAlpine Young Einstein Jeff Darling 1987(29th) Ground Zero Steve Dobson Belinda Malcolm McCulloch The Umbrella Woman James Bartle Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train Yuri Sokol 1988(30th) The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey Geoffrey Simpson Boulevard of Broken Dreams David Connell Grievous Bodily Harm Ellery Ryan The Lighthorsemen Dean Semler 1989(31st) Dead Calm Dean Semler Emerald City Paul Murphy Georgia Yuri Sokol Sweetie Sally Bongers 1990s 1990(32nd) The Crossing Jeff Darling Blood Oath Russell Boyd Flirting Geoff Burton Golden Braid Nino Gaetano Martinetti 1991(33rd) Spotswood Ellery Ryan Aya Geoff Burton Death in Brunswick Ellery Ryan Dingo Denis Lenoir 1992(34th) Black Robe Peter James Hammers Over the Anvil James Bartle The Last Days of Chez Nous Geoffrey Simpson Strictly Ballroom Steve Mason 1993(35th) The Piano Stuart Dryburgh Broken Highway Steve Mason Map of the Human Heart Eduardo Serra No Worries Stephen F. Windon On My Own Vic Sarin 1994(36th) Exile Nino Gaetano Martinetti The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Brian J. Breheny Bad Boy Bubby Ian Jones Country Life Stephen F. Windon 1995(37th) Angel Baby Ellery Ryan Epsilon Tony Clarke Mushrooms Louis Irving That Eye, the Sky Ellery Ryan 1996(38th) Shine Geoffrey Simpson Children of the Revolution Martin McGrath Mr. Reliable David Parker What I Have Written Dion Beebe 1997(39th) Doing Time for Patsy Cline Andrew Lesnie Blackrock Martin McGrath Kiss or Kill Malcolm McCulloch The Well Mandy Walker 1998(40th) Oscar and Lucinda Geoffrey Simpson The Boys Tristan Milani In the Winter Dark Martin McGrath The Interview Simon Duggan 1999(41st) Passion Martin McGrath In a Savage Land Danny Ruhlmann Praise Dion Beebe Two Hands Malcolm McCulloch 2000s 2000(42nd) Bootmen Steve Mason 15 Amore John Brock Chopper Geoffrey Hall and Kevin Hayward Looking for Alibrandi Toby Oliver 2001(43rd) Moulin Rouge! Donald McAlpine The Bank Tristan Milani La Spagnola Steve Arnold Yolngu Boy Brad Shield 2002(44th) Beneath Clouds Allan Collins Dirty Deeds Geoffrey Hall Rabbit-Proof Fence Christopher Doyle The Tracker Ian Jones 2003(45th) Japanese Story Ian Baker Gettin' Square Garry Phillips Ned Kelly Oliver Stapleton Travelling Light Tristan Milani 2004(46th) Somersault Robert Humphreys Love's Brother Andrew Lesnie One Perfect Day Gary Ravenscroft Tom White Toby Oliver 2005(47th) The Proposition Benoît Delhomme Little Fish Danny Ruhlmann Oyster Farmer Alun Bollinger Wolf Creek Will Gibson 2006(48th) Ten Canoes Ian Jones Jindabyne David Williamson Macbeth Will Gibson Suburban Mayhem Robert Humphreys 2007(49th) The Home Song Stories Nigel Bluck Clubland Mark Wareham Noise Laszlo Baranyai Romulus, My Father Geoffrey Simpson 2008(50th) Unfinished Sky Robert Humphreys The Black Balloon Denson Baker Death Defying Acts Haris Zambarloukos The Tender Hook Geoffrey Simpson 2009(51st) Samson and Delilah Warwick Thornton Balibo Tristan Milani Beautiful Kate Andrew Commis Last Ride Greig Fraser 2010s 2010(52nd) Bright Star Greig Fraser Animal Kingdom Adam Arkapaw Beneath Hill 60 Toby Oliver The Waiting City Denson Baker AACTA Awards 2011(1st) The Hunter Robert Humphreys Red Dog Geoffrey Hall Sleeping Beauty Geoffrey Simpson Snowtown Adam Arkapaw 2012(2nd) The Sapphires Warwick Thornton Burning Man Garry Phillips Lore Adam Arkapaw Wish You Were Here Jules O'Loughlin 2013(3rd)The Great Gatsby Simon DugganDrift Geoffrey Hall, Rick Rifici and Rick JakovichGoddess Damian E. WyvillThe Rocket Andrew Commis2014(4th) Predestination Ben Nott Fell Marden Dean The Railway Man Gary Phillips Tracks Mandy Walker2015(5th) Mad Max: Fury Road John Seale The Dressmaker Donald M. McAlpine Last Cab to Darwin Steve Arnold Oddball Damian Wyvill2016(6th) Hacksaw Ridge Simon Duggan Girl Asleep Andrew Commis Spear Bonnie Elliott Tanna Bentley Dean Lion Greig Fraser Hounds of Love Michael McDermott Jungle Stefan Duscio Red Dog: True Blue Geoffrey Hall Sweet Country Warwick Thornton Breath Marden Dean and Rick Rifici Ladies in Black Peter James West of Sunshine Thom Neal The King Adam Arkapaw Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan Ben Nott Hotel Mumbai Nick Remy Matthews The Nightingale Radek Ladczuk The Invisible Man Stefan Duscio Babyteeth Andrew Commis Bloody Hell Brad Shield Escape from Pretoria Geoffrey Hall H is for Happiness Bonnie Elliott The Dry Stefan Duscio High Ground Andrew Commis Mortal KombatGermain McMicking Nitram Penguin Bloom Sam Chiplin Elvis Mandy Walker Blaze Jeremy Rouse The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson Mark Wareham The Stranger Sam Chiplin Three Thousand Years of Longing John Seale The New Boy Warwick Thornton Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism Carl Allison Shayda Sherwin Akbarzadeh Sweet As Katie Milwright Talk to Me Aaron McLisky Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Simon Duggan Better Man Erik Wilson, Matt Toll and Ashley Wallen Force of Nature: The Dry 2 Andrew Commis Late Night with the Devil Matthew Temple Memoir of a Snail Gerald Thompson
Further reading
Notes
A: From 1958-2010, the awards were held during the year of the films release. However, the first AACTA Awards were held in 2012 for films released in 2011.
References
External links Official website of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts