David Michôd's Animal Kingdom was the big winner at the 2010 AFI Awards, which were staged over two nights in Melbourne. Michod's acclaimed thriller walked away with nine awards, including best film, director, original screenplay, and three of the four top acting honours.
Jacki Weaver's leading turn as the matriarch of the crime family earned her the best actress gong; Ben Mendelsohn's chilling role as her son won the actor his second career AFI Award for best actor. Joel Edgerton received the best supporting actor award for his small but pivotal role in the Michod's film. Deborah Mailman's supporting role in Rachel Perkins' musical Bran Nue Dae broke up the Animal Kingdom clean sweep of the acting categories (and the actress took home two gongs in total, including one for a guest turn in TV drama Offspring).
The full list of winners is as follows:
2010 SAMSUNG MOBILE AFI AWARDS WINNERS
AFI INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR
Sam Worthington. Avatar.
AFI INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS
Mia Wasikowska. Alice in Wonderland.
AFI YOUNG ACTOR AWARD
Harrison Gilbertson. Beneath Hill 60.
AFI VISUAL EFFECTS AWARD
Daybreakers. Peter Spierig, Michael Spierig, Rangi Sutton, James Rogers, Randy Vellacott.
AFI RAYMOND LONGFORD AWARD
Reg Grundy
BYRON KENNEDY AWARD
Animal Logic. Presented to Zareh Nalbandian.
READERS' CHOICE AWARD
Animal Kingdom. Liz Watts.
TELEVISION
AFI AWARD FOR BEST CHILDREN'S TELEVISION DRAMA
My Place. Penny Chapman. ABC
AFI AWARD FOR BEST CHILDREN'S TELEVISION ANIMATION
dirtgirlworld. Cate McQuillen. ABC
AFI AWARD FOR BEST TELEVISION COMEDY SERIES
Review With Myles Barlow, Season 2. Dean Bates. ABC
AFI AWARD FOR BEST LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION SERIES
The Gruen Transfer, Series 3. Andrew Denton, Anita Jacoby, Jon Casimir, Debbie Cuell. ABC1
AFI AWARD FOR BEST TELEVISION DRAMA SERIES
Rush, Season 3. John Edwards, Mimi Butler. Network Ten
AFI AWARD FOR BEST TELEFEATURE, MINI SERIES OR SHORT RUN SERIES
Hawke. Richard Keddie. Network Ten
AFI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION IN TELEVISION
Hawke. Emma Freeman. Network Ten
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY IN TELEVISION
Wilfred II – Episode 7, 'Dog Star'. Jason Gann, Adam Zwar. SBS
AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
Richard Roxburgh. Hawke. Network Ten
AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
Catherine McClements. Tangle, Season 2. Showcase
AFI AWARD FOR BEST GUEST OR SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
Damien Garvey. Underbelly: The Golden Mile " Episode 10, 'Hurt on Duty'. Nine Network
AFI AWARD FOR BEST GUEST OR SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA
Deborah Mailman. Offspring. Network Ten
AFI AWARD FOR BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TELEVISION COMEDY
Phil Lloyd. Review With Myles Barlow, Season 2. ABC
AFI AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN TELEVISION SCREEN CRAFT
Shaun Micallef. Talkin' 'bout Your Generation, Host. Network Ten
NON"FEATURE FILM
AFI AWARD FOR BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY
Contact. Martin Butler, Bentley Dean. ABC1
AFI AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY UNDER ONE HOUR
You Only Live Twice " The Incredibly True Story Of The Hughes Family. Ruth Cullen. ABC1
AFI AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Liberal Rule " The Politics That Changed Australia. Nick Torrens, Frank Haines. SBS
AFI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION IN A DOCUMENTARY
Inside The Firestorm. Jacob Hickey. ABC
AFI AWARD FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A DOCUMENTARY
Miracles " Episode 1, 'Miracle in the Storm'. Toby Oliver ACS. ABC1
AFI AWARD FOR BEST EDITING IN A DOCUMENTARY
Inside The Firestorm. Steven Robinson. ABC
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SOUND IN A DOCUMENTARY
Inside The Firestorm. Jock Healy, Tristan Meredith, AJ Bradford. ABC
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SHORT ANIMATION
The Lost Thing. Sophie Byrne, Andrew Ruhemann, Shaun Tan.
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FICTION FILM
The Kiss. Sonya Humphrey, Ashlee Page.
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY IN A SHORT FILM
Deeper Than Yesterday. Ariel Kleiman.
AFI AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN SHORT FILM SCREEN CRAFT
Nick Matthews. The Kiss, Cinematography.
FEATURE FILM
AFI MEMBERS' CHOICE AWARD
Animal Kingdom. Liz Watts.
SAMSUNG MOBILE AFI AWARD FOR BEST FILM
Animal Kingdom. Liz Watts.
AFI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION
Animal Kingdom. David Michôd.
MACQUARIE AFI AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Animal Kingdom. David Michôd.
MACQUARIE AFI AWARD FOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Tomorrow When The War Began. Stuart Beattie.
AFI AWARD FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Bright Star. Greig Fraser.
AFI AWARD FOR BEST EDITING
Animal Kingdom. Luke Doolan.
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SOUND
Tomorrow When The War Began. Andrew Plain, David Lee, Gethin Creagh, Robert Sullivan.
AFI AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE
Animal Kingdom. Antony Partos, Sam Petty.
AFI AWARD FOR BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Bright Star. Janet Patterson.
AFI AWARD FOR BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Bright Star. Janet Patterson.
AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTOR
Ben Mendelsohn. Animal Kingdom.
AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS
Jacki Weaver. Animal Kingdom.
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Joel Edgerton. Animal Kingdom.
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Deborah Mailman. Bran Nue Dae.
