After garnering a Camera d’Or for best first feature film at Cannes and a rarely afforded five star review from Australia’s film critic odd couple – Margaret and David, Warwick Thornton’s devastatingly beautiful Samson And Delilah was the clear favourite at Australian Film’s night of nights, the 2009 Samsung Mobile AFI awards.
It didn’t disappoint. Up against the the likes of Mao’s Last Dancer, Beautiful Kate and Balibo, Samson And Delilah swept all major categories (winning seven gongs) including Best Direction, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, The AFI Member’s Choice Award and the coveted Best Film Award.
But for writer/director Warwick Thornton there was little time to celebrate – next on his agenda is an Academy Award nomination. Deservedly Samson And Delilah is Australia’s official entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category and Thornton is currently in LA campaigning for a nod. The Academy Award nominations are announced in February let’s hope Samson and Delilah are among the names called.
Check out the full list of AFI winners below:
SAMSUNG MOBILE AFI AWARD FOR BEST FILM: Samson & Delilah. Kath Shelper
AFI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION: Samson & Delilah. Warwick Thornton
MACQUARIE AFI AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Samson & Delilah. Warwick Thornton
MACQUARIE AFI AWARD FOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Balibo. David Williamson, Robert Connolly
AFI AWARD FOR BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE: Mao’s Last Dancer. Christopher Gordon
AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTOR: Anthony LaPaglia. Balibo
AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS: Frances O’Connor. Blessed
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Oscar Isaac. Balibo
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Rachel Griffiths. Beautiful Kate
AFI AWARD FOR BEST TELEVISION DRAMA SERIES: East West 101, Season 2. Kristine Wyld, Steve Knapman. SBS
AFI AWARD FOR BEST TELEFEATURE, MINI SERIES OR SHORT RUN SERIES: False Witness. Greg Haddrick, Peter Andrikidis. UKTV
AFI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION IN TELEVISION: East West 101, Season 2 (Episode 13, Atonement). Peter Andrikidis. SBS
AFI AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY IN TELEVISION: Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities (Episode 11, The Brotherhood). Kris Mrksa. Nine Network
AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA: Roy Billing. Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities. Nine Network
AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA: Susie Porter. East West 101, Season 2. SBS
AFI AWARD FOR BEST GUEST OR SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A TELEVISION DRAMA: Damian de Montemas. Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities (Episode 11, The Brotherhood). Nine Network
AFI AWARD FOR BEST GUEST OR SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION DRAMA: Anni Finsterer. 3 Acts of Murder. ABC1
AFI AWARD FOR BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY: Glass: a portrait of Philip in twelve parts. Scott Hicks, Susanne Preissler
AFI YOUNG ACTOR AWARD: Marissa Gibson & Rowan McNamara. Samson & Delilah
BYRON KENNEDY AWARD: Ray Brown
NEWS LIMITED READERS’ CHOICE AWARD: Mao’s Last Dancer. Jane Scott
AFI INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR: Russell Crowe. State of Play
AFI INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS: Toni Collette. United States of Tara. ABC1
AFI HIGHEST GROSSING FILM AWARD: Australia. Marc Wooldridge, Baz Luhrmann, G. Mac Brown, Catherine Knapman, Stuart Beattie, Ronald Harwood, Richard Flanagan
