The 52nd Annual Australian Film Institute Awards ceremony, presented by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), honoured the best Australian films of 2010 and took place on 11 December 2010 at the Regent Theatre, in Melbourne, Victoria.
On 27 October 2010, the Australian Film Institute announced the nominees competing for awards in forty-eight categories, including feature film, television, short film and documentaries. Animal Kingdom received eighteen nominations, the most of any film in the awards' history. On the awards night, Animal Kingdom picked up the most awards - ten in total - including Best Film.
Winners and nominees The nominees were announced on 27 October 2010, at the Sydney Theatre, in Dawes Point, New South Wales, by actors Jacki Weaver, Cate Blanchett, Gyton Grantley and Alex Dimitriades. Animal Kingdom received the most nominations, with eighteen, becoming the most nominated film in the awards history. Animal Kingdom received the most awards, with ten, including Best Film, and Best Direction and Best Original Screenplay for David Michôd. Other feature film winners were Bright Star with three, Tomorrow, When the War Began, with two awards, and Beneath Hill 60 with one. Some of the award categories in film, television, documentary and short film genres, for sound, editing, cinematography, music and television programs, were presented one day prior to the awards ceremony.
Feature film
Best FilmBest Direction Animal Kingdom – Liz Watts Beneath Hill 60 – Bill Leimbach Bran Nue Dae – Robyn Kershaw and Graeme Isaac Bright Star – Jan Chapman and Caroline Hewitt The Tree – Sue Taylor and Yaël Fogiel Tomorrow, When the War Began – Andrew Mason, Michael Boughen | valign="top" | David Michôd – Animal Kingdom Jeremy Hartley Sims – Beneath Hill 60 Jane Campion – Bright Star Julie Bertuccelli – The TreeBest Original ScreenplayBest Adapted Screenplay David Michôd – Animal Kingdom David Roach – Beneath Hill 60 Jane Campion – Bright Star Peter and Michael Spierig – Daybreakers Stuart Beattie – Tomorrow, When the War Began Reg Cribb, Rachel Perkins and Jimmy Chi – Bran Nue Dae Allan Cubitt – The Boys Are Back Julie Bertuccelli – The TreeBest Lead ActorBest Lead Actress Ben Mendelsohn – Animal Kingdom as Andrew "Pope" Cody Brendan Cowell – Beneath Hill 60 as Captain Oliver Woodward James Frecheville – Animal Kingdom as Joshua "J" Cody Clive Owen – The Boys Are Back as Joe Warr Jacki Weaver – Animal Kingdom as Janine "Smurf" Cody Abbie Cornish – Bright Star as Fanny Brawne Morgana Davies – The Tree as Simone Charlotte Gainsbourg – The Tree as DawnBest Supporting ActorBest Supporting Actress Joel Edgerton – Animal Kingdom as Barry "Baz" Brown Guy Pearce – Animal Kingdom as Nathan Leckie Kodi Smit-McPhee – Matching Jack as Finn Sullivan Stapleton – Animal Kingdom as Craig Cody Deborah Mailman – Bran Nue Dae as Roxanne Julia Blake – The Boys Are Back as Barbara Kerry Fox – Bright Star as Mrs. Frances Brawne Laura Wheelwright – Animal Kingdom as Nicky HenryBest CinematographyBest Editing Bright Star – Greig Fraser Animal Kingdom – Adam Arkapaw Beneath Hill 60 – Robyn Kershaw and Toby Oliver The Waiting City – Denson Baker Animal Kingdom – Luke Doolan Beneath Hill 60 – Dany Cooper Bright Star – Alexandre de Franceschi Tomorrow, When the War Began – Marcus D'ArcyBest Original Music ScoreBest Sound Animal Kingdom – Antony Partos and Sam Petty Beneath Hill 60 – Cezary Skubiszewski Bran Nue Dae – Cezary Skubiszewski, Jimmy Chi, Patrick Duttoo Bin Amat, Garry Gower, Michael Manolis Mavromatis and Stephen Pigram Bright Star – Mark Bradshaw Tomorrow, When the War Began – Andrew Plain, David Lee, Gethin Creagh and Robert Sullivan Animal Kingdom – Sam Petty, Rob Mackenzie, Philippe Decrausaz, Leah Katz, Brooke Trezise and Richard Pain Beneath Hill 60 – Liam Egan, Alicia Slusarski, Mark Cornish, Tony Murtagh, Robert Sullivan and Mario Vaccaro Bran Nue Dae – Andrew Neil, Steve Burgess, Peter Mills, Mario Vaccaro, Blaire Slater, David Bridie and Scott MontgomeryBest Production DesignBest Costume Design Bright Star – Janet Patterson Animal Kingdom – Jo Ford Beneath Hill 60 – Clayton Jauncey Tomorrow, When the War Began – Robert Webb, Michelle McGahey, Damien Drew and Bev Dunn Bright Star – Janet Patterson Animal Kingdom – Cappi Ireland Beneath Hill 60 – Ian Sparke and Wendy Cork Bran Nue Dae – Margot Wilson
Short film Best Short Fiction FilmBest Screenplay in a Short Film The Kiss – Sonya Humphrey and Ashlee Page Deeper Than Yesterday – Ariel Kleiman, Benjamin Gilovitz, Sarah Cyngler and Anna Kojevnikov The Love Song Of Iskra Prufrock – Lucy Gaffy and Lyn Norfor Suburbia – Antonio Oreña-Barlin and Richard Halsted | valign="top" | Ariel Kleiman – Deeper Than Yesterday Sarah Shaw and Ian Meadows – A Parachute Falling in Siberia Trent Dalton – Glenn Owen Dodds Ashlee Page – The KissBest Short AnimationOutstanding Achievement in Short Film Screen Craft The Lost Thing – Sophie Byrne, Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan Zero – Christopher Kezelos and Christine Kezelos The Kiss – Nick Matthews for cinematography
Television Best Drama Series Best Comedy Series Rush – Season 3 (Network Ten) John Edwards, Mimi Butler Spirited – Series 1 (Foxtel) Claudia Karvan, Jacquelin Perske, John Edwards Tangle – Season 2 (Showcase) John Edwards, Imogen Banks The Circuit – Season 2 (SBS) Ross Hutchens, Colin South Review with Myles Barlow – Season 2 (ABC) Dean Bates Lowdown – Series 1 (ABC) Nicole Minchin, Amanda Brotchie, Adam Zwar Wilfred II – (SBS) Jenny Livingston, Tony Rogers, Adam Zwar, Jason Gann Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series Best Light Entertainment Series Hawke – (Network Ten) Richard Keddie A Model Daughter: The Killing Of Caroline Byrne – (Network Ten) Karl Zwicky The Gruen Transfer – Series 3 (ABC) Andrew Denton, Anita Jacoby, Jon Casimir, Debbie Cuell Hungry Beast – Series 2 (ABC) Andrew Denton, Andy Nehl MasterChef Australia – Series 2 (Network Ten) Margaret Bashfield, Judy Smart, Caroline Spencer Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation – Series 2 (Network Ten) Peter Beck Best Children's Television Series Best Comedy Performance My Place – Series 1 (ABC) Penny Chapman Dance Academy – Series 1 (ABC) Joanna Werner Dead Gorgeous – (ABC) Ewan Burnett, Margot McDonald Lockie Leonard – Series 2 (Nine Network) Kylie Du Fresne Phil Lloyd – Review with Myles Barlow: Season 2 (ABC) Paul Denny – Lowdown: Series 1 (ABC) Jason Gann – Wilfred II (SBS) Best Lead Actor – Drama Best Lead Actress – Drama Richard Roxburgh – Hawke (Network Ten) Garry McDonald – A Model Daughter: The Killing Of Caroline Byrne (Network Ten) Corey McKernan – The Legend of Enyo (Seven Network) Aaron Pederson – The Circuit: Series 2 (SBS) Catherine McClements – Tangle: Season 2 (Showcase) Poppy Lee Friar – Dead Gorgeous (ABC) Justine Clarke – Tangle: Season 2 (Showcase) Cheree Cassidy – Underbelly: The Golden Mile - Episode 7: "Full Force Gale" (Nine Network) Best Guest or Supporting Actor – Drama Best Guest or Supporting Actress – Drama Damien Garvey – Underbelly: The Golden Mile - Episode 10: "Hurt On Duty" (Nine Network) Rhys Muldoon – Lockie Leonhard: Series 2, Episode 11: "Snake Hide Oil" (Nine Network) Ben Winspear – My Place: Series 1, Episode 5: "1968 Sofia" (ABC) John Waters – Offspring: Series 1 (Network Ten) Deborah Mailman – Offspring: Series 1 (Network Ten) Asher Keddie – Hawke (Network Ten) Sacha Horler – Hawke (Network Ten) Linda Cropper – Satisfaction: Series 3, Episode 8: "Not Vanilla" (Showcase) Best Direction Best Screenplay Hawke – (Network Ten) Emma Freeman Dance Academy – Episode 2: "Week Zero" (ABC) Jeffrey Walker Rush – Season 3, Episode 8: "Train" (Network Ten) Grant Brown Tangle – Season 2, Episode 16: "Lost And Found" (Showcase) Emma Freeman Wilfred II – Episode 7: "Dogstar" (SBS) Jason Gann, Adam Zwar Hawke – (Network Ten) Glen Dolman Tangle – Season 2, Episode 15: "Sleepwalking" (Showcase) Fiona Seres Review with Myles Barlow – Season 2, Episode 6: "Happiness, Escapism, Acceptance" (ABC) Trent O'Donnell, Phil Lloyd Best Children’s Television Animation Outstanding Achievement in Television Screen Craft dirtgirlworld – (ABC) Cate McQuillen Erky Perky – (Seven Network) Kristine Klohk, Barbara Stephen, Tracy Lenon, David Webster The Legend of Enyo – (Seven Network) Avrill Stark, Michael Christensen Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation – Series 2 (Network Ten) Shaun Micallef
Documentary Best Feature Length DocumentaryBest Documentary Under One Hour Contact – Martin Butler and Bentley Dean Inside the Firestorm – Lucy Maclaren and Alex West The Snowman – Rachel Landers and Dylan Blowen Strange Birds In Paradise - A West Papuan Story – Jamie Nicolai and John Cherry | valign="top" | You Only Live Twice - The Incredibly True Story Of The Hughes Family – Ruth Cullen A Thousand Encores: The Ballets Russes In Australia – Dave Morley, Felix Crawshaw, Claudia Lecaros and Tim Walker Rudely Interrupted – Susie Jones and Benjamin Jones Surviving Mumbai – Andrew Ogilvie and Andrea Quesnelle |- ! style="background:#dbd090; width:50%" |Best Documentary Series ! style="background:#dbd090; width:50%" |Best Direction in a Documentary |- | valign="top" | Liberal Rule - The Politics That Changed Australia – Nick Torrens and Frank Haines Addicted To Money – Andrew Ogilvie and Andrea Quesnelle Disable Bodied Sailors – Karina Holden and Nick Robinson Kokoda – Andrew Wiseman | valign="top" | Jacob Hickey – Inside the Firestorm Amanda Chang – A Thousand Encores: The Ballets Russes In Australia Martin Butler and Bentley Dean – Contact Charlie Hill-Smith – Strange Birds In Paradise - A West Papuan StoryBest Cinematography in a DocumentaryBest Editing in a Documentary Miracles – Toby Oliver for Episode 1: "Miracle in the Storm" Disable Bodied Sailors – Nick Robinson for "Episode 3" Strange Birds In Paradise - A West Papuan Story – Angus Kemp Surviving Mumbai – Jim Frater Inside the Firestorm – Steven Robinson A Thousand Encores: The Ballets Russes In Australia – Karin Steininger Contact – Tania Nehme Surviving Mumbai – David FosdickBest Sound in a Documentary Inside the Firestorm – Jock Healy, Tristan Meredith and AJ Bradford A Thousand Encores: The Ballets Russes In Australia – Brett Aplin, Andrew McGrath, Erin McKimm and Terry Chadwick Kokoda – David Bridie, Chris Goodes, Ian Grant and Patrick Slater for Episode 1: "The Invasion" Strange Birds In Paradise - A West Papuan Story – Mik la Vage, Doron Kipen and David Bridie
Additional awards AFI Members' Choice AwardReaders' Choice Award Animal Kingdom – Liz Watts Beneath Hill 60 – Bill Leimbach Bran Nue Dae – Robyn Kershaw and Graeme Isaac Bright Star – Jan Chapman and Caroline Hewitt The Tree – Sue Taylor and Yaël Fogiel Tomorrow, When the War Began – Andrew Mason, Michael Boughen | valign="top" | Animal Kingdom – Liz Watts Bran Nue Dae – Robyn Kershaw and Graeme Isaac Wog Boy 2: Kings of Mykonos – Nick Giannopoulos and Emile Sherman Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole – Zareh Nalbandian Tomorrow, When the War Began – Andrew Mason, Michael Boughen |- ! style="background:#dbd090; width:50%" |Best Young Actor ! style="background:#dbd090; width:50%" |Best Visual Effects |- | valign="top" | Harrison Gilbertson – Beneath Hill 60 as Frank Tiffin Ashleigh Cummings – Tomorrow, When the War Began as Robyn Mathers Morgana Davies – The Tree as Simone James Frecheville – Animal Kingdom as Joshua "J" Cody Daybreakers – Peter and Michael Spierig, Rangi Sutton, James Rogers and Randy Vellacott The Tree – Dave Morley, Felix Crawshaw, Claudia Lecaros and Tim Walker Tinglewood – Wil Manning Tomorrow, When the War Began – Chris Godfrey, Sigi Eimutis, Dave Morley and Tony Cole |- ! style="background:#dbd090; width:50%" |International Award for Best Actor! style="background:#dbd090; width:50%" |International Award for Best Actress|- | valign="top" |