The AACTA Award for Best Indie Film is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) since 2018.
The award is presented at the annual AACTA Awards, which hand out accolades for achievements in feature film, television, documentaries and short films. Since 2024 the awards have been held at the Gold Coast, Queensland.
History The establishment of the AACTA Award for Best Indie Film was announced on 1 May 2018. The inaugural award was won by Jirga, directed by Benjamin Gilmour.
Eligibility The intention of the award is to allow "a pathway into competition for a greater number of films from filmmakers with diverse backgrounds (gender, sexual and cultural diversity), as well as films from emerging filmmakers". Only films with a budget of under million are eligible.
Winners and nominees
2018 The winner of the inaugural award in 2018, in the 8th AACTA Awards: Jirga, directed by Benjamin Gilmour
Other films nominated were: Brothers' Nest (Clayton Jacobson) The Second (Mairi Cameron) Strange Colours (Alena Lodkina) West of Sunshine (Jason Raftopoulos)
2019 The winner of the 2019 award, in the 9th AACTA Awards: Buoyancy, directed by Rodd Rathjen Other films nominated were: Acute Misfortune (Thomas M. Wright) Book Week (Heath Davis) Emu Runner (Imogen Thomas) Sequin in a Blue Room (Samuel Van Grinsven)
2020 The winner of the 2020 award, in the 10th AACTA Awards: Standing Up for Sunny (Steve Vidler)
Other nominations: A Boy Called Sailboat (Cameron Nugent) Hot Mess (Lucy Coleman (director)) Koko: A Red Dog Story (Dominic Pearce) A Lion Returns (Serhat Caradee) Unsound (Ian Watson)
2021 The winner of the 2021 award, in the 11th AACTA Awards: Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie's Dead Aunt) (Monica Zanetti)
Other films nominated were: Disclosure (Michael Bentham) Lone Wolf (Jonathan Ogilvie) Moon Rock for Monday (Kurt Martin) My First Summer (Katie Found) Under My Skin (David O'Donnell)
2022 The winner of the 2022 award, in the 12th AACTA Awards: A Stitch in Time, directed by Sasha Hadden
Other films nominated were: Akoni (Genna Chanelle Hayes) Darklands (Scott Major) Lonesome (Craig Boreham) Pieces (Martin Wilson) Smoke Between Trees (Michael Joy)
2023 The winner of the award celebrating the best films released in 2023 in the 13th AACTA Awards, announced in February 2024: Limbo, directed by Ivan Sen
Other films nominated were: The Survival of Kindness (Rolf de Heer) A Savage Christmas (Madeleine Dyer) Monolith (Matt Vesely) The Rooster (Mark Leonard Winter) Streets of Colour (Ronnie S. Riskalla)
2024 The winner of the award celebrating the best films released in 2024 in the 14th AACTA Awards, announced in February 2025: Birdeater, directed by Jack CLark and Jim Weir
Other films nominated were: Before Dawn (Jordon Prince-Wright) Christmess (Heath Davis) Just A Farmer (Simon Lyndon) The Emu War (Lisa Fineberg) You'll Never Find Me (Indianna Bell, Josiah Allen)
2025 The winner of the award celebrating the best films released in 2025 in the 15th AACTA Awards, announced in February 2026: Lesbian Space Princess, directed by Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese
Other films nominated were: Carmen & Bolude (Michela Carattini) Fwends (Sophie Somerville) It Will Find You (Enzo Tedeschi and Chris Broadbent) Magic Beach (Robert Connolly) With or Without You (Su Armstrong and Carolyn Johnson)
References
External links