2010 Australian Film Institute Awards


The 52nd Annual Australian Film Institute Awards ceremony, presented by the Australian Film Institute, 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
David Michôd – Animal Kingdom
  • * Jeremy Hartley Sims – Beneath Hill 60
  • * Jane Campion – Bright Star
  • * Julie Bertuccelli – The Tree
    • Best 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 Tree
    • Best 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 Dawn
    • Best 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 Henry
    • Best 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'Arcy
    • Best 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 Montgomery
    • Best 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

    • Productions with multiple nominations

    Feature film

    The following feature films received multiple nominations.
    The following feature films received multiple awards.

    Television

    The following television shows received multiple nominations.
    The following television shows and documentaries received multiple awards.