The AFI Award for Best Documentary was an award presented by the Australian Film Institute in the annual AFI Awards. The category was superseded in 2008 with an award for Best Feature Length Documentary.
Winners and nominees Winners are highlighted and in bold.
AFI Awards (1976-2010)AACTA Awards (2011-present)1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s
Year Film Recipient(s) 1980s 1980(22nd)FrontlineDavid Bradbury (Director)Bird of the Thunder Woman David Parer (Director)EvictionsRichard Lowenstein (Director)Give Trees a ChanceJeni Kendall (Director)Winter's Harvest / Raccolto D'InvernoBrian McKenzie (Director) 1981(23rd)Stepping Out Chris Noonan (Producer / Director)Backs to the Blast Harry Bardwell (Producer / Director)Public Enemy Number OneDavid Bradbury (Producer / Director)Waiting for Harry Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (Production Company), Kim McKenzie (Director) 1982(24th)Angels of War Andrew Pike, Hank Nelson, Gavan Daws (Producer)Journey to the End of the Night Peter Tammer (Producer)Two LawsCarolyn Strachan, Alessandro Cavadini (Producer) 1983(25th)First Contact Robin Anderson, Bob Connolly (Producer)Birdmen of Kilimanjaro Anne Folland (Producer)Double ConcertoAngela Catterns (Producer)Peppimenarti Ron Iddon (Producer) 1984(26th)Kemira: Diary of a StrikeTom Zubrycki (Producer / Director)Antarctic Man: 'This Is Not A Place For Humans' ABC Natural History Unit (Production Company), David Parer (Producer / Director)Celso and CoraGary Kildea (Producer / Director)For Love or Money Margot Oliver, Megan McMurchy, Jeni Thornley (Producer), Megan McMurchy, Jeni Thornley (Director), Margot Nash (Editor) 1985(27th)Raoul Wallenberg: Between the Lines Bob Weis (Producer)Collum Calling Canberra Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (Production Company), David MacDougall, Judith MacDougall (Producer / Director)I'll Be Home For Christmas Brian McKenzie (Producer / Director)Munda Nyuringu: He's Taken The Land, He Believes It Is His, He Won't Give It Back Robert Bropho, Jan Roberts (Producer / Director) 1986(28th)Chile: Hasta Cuando? David Bradbury (Producer)Flight Of The Windhorse Richard Dennison (Producer)Half Life Dennis O'Rourke (Producer)Pitjiri: The Snake That Will Not Sink Karen Hughes (Producer)Rocking the Foundations Pat Fiske (Producer)Some Babies Die Martyn Down (Producer) 1987(29th)Painting the Town Trevor Graham (Director)Friends and Enemies Tom Zubrycki (Director)How the West Was Lost David Noakes (Director)The Musical Mariner (Part One) Bill Leimbach (Director) 1988(30th)Cane Toads, An Unnatural History Film Australia (Production Company), Mark Lewis (Producer)Riding the Gale Kim Batterham, Genni Batterham (Producer)South of the Border David Bradbury (Producer)Thanks Girls and Goodbye Sue Maslin, Sue Hardisty (Producer) 1989(31st)Joe Leahy's Neighbours Robin Anderson, Bob Connolly (Producer)A Little Life Deborah Howlett (Producer)Confessions of a Simple Surgeon NSW Dept of TAFE (Production Company)Philippines, My Philippines Maree Delofski, Chris Nash (Producer) 1990s 1990(32nd)Handmaidens and BattleaxesRosalind Gillespie (Director)Lord of the Bush Tom Zubrycki (Director)Senso DaughtersNoriko Sekiguchi (Director)Tightrope Dancer Ruth Cullen (Director) 1991(33rd)Canto A La VidaLucia Salinas Briones (Director)Chainsaw Shirley Barrett (Director)Cowboy, Maria In Town Les McLaren, Annie Stiven (Director)Eclipse of the Man-Made Sun Nicolette Freeman, Amanda Stewart (Director) 1992(34th)Black HarvestRobin Anderson, Bob Connolly (Director)God's Girls: Stories from an Australian Convent Cherie Nowlan (Director)Mr Neal is Entitled To Be An Agitator Daryl Dellora (Director)The Serpent And The Cross Chris Hilton (Director) 1993(35th)Exile And The KingdomFrank Rijavec (Director)For All The World To See Pat Fiske (Director)Homelands Tom Zubrycki (Director)The Journey Christopher Tuckfield (Director) 1994(36th)50 Years Of SilenceJames Bradley, Ned Lander, Carol Ruff (Director)Eternity Lawrence Johnston (Director)The Last Magician Tracey Holloway, Liz Thompson (Director)Watch the Watch Malcolm McDonald (Director) 1995(37th)The Good LookerClaire Jager (Director)Pat And Eddy's Greyhound Racing Family Brian McKenzie (Director)Raskols Sally Browning, Anou Borrey (Director)WitnessMichael Buckley (Director) 1996(38th)Not Fourteen Again Gillian Armstrong (Director)Billal Tom Zubrycki (Director)Hatred Mitzi Goldman (Director)Nearly Normal Nimbin: Part One Jeni Kendall, Paul Tait (Director) 1997(39th)Mabo: Life of an Island ManTrevor Graham (Director)Colour Bars Mahmoud Yekta (Director)Exile in Sarajevo Tahir Cambis, Alma Sahbaz (Director)The Butler Anna Kannava (Director) 1998(40th)The Dragons of Galapagos David Parer, Elizabeth Parer-CookMohamed Ali's Happy Day Feast Catherine DysonPaying for the Piper Ed PunchardUrban Clan Aanya Whitehead, Paul Humfress 1999(41st)HephzibahCurtis LevyA Calcutta Christmas Denise HaslemOriginal Schtick Peter George, Bronwyne SmithSadness Michael McMahon, Megan McMurchy 2000s 2000(42nd)The DiplomatSally Browning, Wilson da SilvaA Death in the Family Terry Carlyon, Robyn MillerStolen Generations Tom ZubryckiUncle Chatzkel Rod Freedman, Emile Sherman 2001(43rd)Facing the MusicBob Connolly, Robin AndersonCunnamulla Dennis O'RourkePlaying The Game - Episode 3 Andrew Ogilvie, Peter Du CaneWonderboy Andrew Wiseman, Richard Keddie 2002(44th)A Wedding in Ramallah Sherine SalamaEast Timor - Birth of a Nation: Rosa's Story Luigi Acquisto, Stella ZammataroRainbow Bird & Monster Man John LewisThe Diaries Of Vaslav Nijinski Paul Cox, Aanya Whitehead 2003(45th)WildnessMichael McMahonPainting with Light in a Dark World Renata Schuman, Ellenor CoxSilent Storm Peter Butt, Rob McAuelyThe Original Mermaid Ian Collie 2004(46th)The President Versus David HicksCurtis LevyHelen's War: Portrait of a Dissident Sonja Armstrong, Anne PickLonely Boy Richard Denise Haslem, Rosemary HespThe Men Who Would Conquer China Nick Torrens 2005(47th)Land Mines - A Love Story Dennis O'RourkeGirl in a Mirror Helen BowdenJabe Babe: A Heightened Life Janet Merewether, Deborah Szapiro, Georgia Wallace-CrabbeKillers In Eden Klaus Toft 2006(48th)Hunt Angels Sue MaslinRaul The Terrible Carlos AlperinVietnam Nurses Beth Frey, Lizzette AtkinsWelcome 2 My Deaf World Sally Ingleton 2007(49th)Forbidden Lie$Sally Regan, Anna Broinowski4 Joanna Buggy, Tim SladeGlobal Haywire Claude GonzalezWords from the City Philippa Campey
References
External links Official website of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts