# 2003 Australian Film Institute Awards

The 45th Annual Australian Film Institute Awards (generally known as the AFI Awards) were a series of awards presented by the Australian Film Institute (AFI). The awards celebrated the best in Australian feature film, television, documentary, and short film productions of 2003. The event was held at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, on 21 November 2003, and was hosted by Tony Squires. Stars presenting the awards included Geoffrey Rush, George Miller, Toni Collette, and Jason Donovan.

## Winners and nominees

The nominations were announced on 31 October 2003. Leading the feature film nominees was comedy crime caper Gettin' Square with a total of fourteen nominations across 12 of the 14 categories, equalling the record set by director Phillip Noyce's film Newsfront in 1978. After the Deluge, a miniseries about a father who is suffering from Alzheimer's and his three estranged sons who reluctantly come together to secure institutional care for him, gained the most television nominations with eight.
Despite the record number of nominations, Gettin' Square only won a single award, for David Wenham as best actor. Director, Sue Brooks's Japanese Story, about an Australian geologist and a Japanese businessman journeying into the Pilbara desert in Western Australia received eight awards, the most for any production. In the television category, the miniseries After The Deluge and medical-legal drama MDA, won three awards apiece.

## Controversies

There was some controversy at the ceremony, with almost half of the winners using their acceptance speeches to criticise the Australian government's proposal to cut cultural subsidies as part of a free trade agreement with the United States. Many arrived wearing yellow and green ribbons in protest against the agreement.

### Feature Film

| Best Film | Best Direction |
| Japanese Story – Sue Maslin, Sue Brooks and Alison Tilson Alexandra's Project – Julie Ryan and Domenico Procacci Gettin' Square – Martin Fabinyi, Tim White and Trish Lake The Rage in Placid Lake – Marian Macgowan | Sue Brooks – Japanese Story Paul Moloney – Crackerjack Jonathan Teplitzky – Gettin' Square Gregor Jordan – Ned Kelly |
| Best Original Screenplay | Best Adapted Screenplay |
| Japanese Story – Alison Tilson Crackerjack – Mick Molloy and Richard Molloy Gettin' Square – Chris Nyst Travelling Light – Kathryn Millard | The Rage in Placid Lake – Tony McNamara Blurred – Stephen Davis and Kier Shorey Ned Kelly – John Michael McDonaugh Teesh and Trude – Vanessa Lomma |
| Best Lead Actor | Best Lead Actress |
| David Wenham – Gettin' Square Timothy Spall – Gettin' Square Gotaro Tsunashima – Japanese Story Heath Ledger – Ned Kelly | Toni Collette – Japanese Story Helen Buday – Alexandra's Project Susie Porter – Teesh and Trude Rose Byrne – The Rage in Placid Lake |
| Best Supporting Actor | Best Supporting Actress |
| David Ngoombujarra – Black and White David Field – Gettin' Square Mitchell Butel – Gettin' Square Orlando Bloom – Ned Kelly | Sacha Horler – Travelling Light Helen Thomson – Gettin' Square Melanie Griffith – The Night We Called It a Day Miranda Richardson – The Rage in Placid Lake |
| Best Cinematography | Best Editing |
| Japanese Story – Ian Baker Gettin' Square – Garry Phillips Ned Kelly – Oliver Stapleton BSC Travelling Light – Tristan Milani ACS | Japanese Story – Jill Bilcock Alexandra's Project – Tania Nehme Gettin' Square – Ken Sallows ASE Ned Kelly – Jon Gregory ACE |
| Best Original Music Score | Best Sound |
| Japanese Story – Elizabeth Drake Alexandra's Project – Graham Tardif Gettin' Square – Chit Chat Von Loopin Stab, 3KShort Travelling Light – Richard Vella | Japanese Story – Livia Ruzic, Peter Grace and Peter Smith Alexandra's Project – James Currie, Andrew Plain, Nada Mikas and Rory McGregor Gettin' Square – John Schiefelbein, Antony Gray and Ian McLoughlin Ned Kelly – Gary Wilkins, Colin Miller AMPS, Adrian Rhodes and Chris Burden |
| Best Production Design | Best Costume Design |
| Ned Kelly – Steven Jones-Evans Gettin' Square – Nicholas McCallum Japanese Story – Paddy Reardon The Night We Called It a Day –Michael Philips | Ned Kelly – Anna Borghesi Black and White – Annie Marshall Gettin' Square – Jackline Sassine The Night We Called It a Day – Emily Seresin |

### Television

| Best Drama Series | Best Comedy Series |
| MDA: Series 2 (ABC) – Denny Lawrence Grass Roots: Series 2 (ABC) – John Eastway Stingers: Series 6 (Nine Network) – John Wilde, Roger Le Mesurier and Roger Simpson The Secret Life of Us: Series 3 (Network Ten) – Amanda Higgs | John Safran's Music Jamboree (SBS) – Selin Yaman and John Safran Big Bite (Seven Network) – Michael Horrocks CNNNN (ABC) – Mark Fennessy and Andrew Denton Kath & Kim: Series 2 (ABC) – Gina Riley, Jane Turner and Mark Ruse |
| Best Telefeature or Mini Series | Best Light Entertainment Series |
| After The Deluge (Network Ten) – Richard Keddie, Andrew Knight and Andrew Wiseman Black Jack (Network Ten) – Nick Murray and Sally Ayre-Smith The Postcard Bandit (Nine Network) – Matt Carroll The Shark Net (ABC) – Sue Taylor | Enough Rope with Andrew Denton (ABC) – Andrew Denton and Anita Jacoby Micallef Tonight (Nine Network) – Shaun Micallef, Todd Abbott and Margaret Bashfield The Fat: Series 6 (ABC) – Damian Davis and Nick Price The Glass House: Season 3 (ABC) – Ted Robinson |
| Best Lead Actor | Best Lead Actress |
| Shane Bourne – MDA: Series 2 (ABC) Ray Barrett – After The Deluge (Network Ten) Geoff Morrell – Grass Roots: Series 2 (ABC) Glenn Robbins – Kath & Kim: Series 2 (ABC) | Angie Milliken – MDA: Series 2 (ABC) Jane Turner – Kath & Kim: Series 2 (ABC) Claudia Karvan – The Secret Life of Us: Series 3 (Network Ten) Deborah Mailman – The Secret Life of Us: Series 3 (Network Ten) |
| Best Guest or Supporting Actor | Best Guest or Supporting Actress |
| John Clayton – Grass Roots: Series 2, Episode 10 "By-Election" (ABC) Samuel Johnson – After The Deluge (Network Ten) Damien Richardson – The Secret Life of Us: Series 3, Episode 11: "The Day No Trumpets Sounded" (Network Ten) Francis Greenslade – Welcher & Welcher (ABC) | Essie Davis – After The Deluge (Network Ten) Maggie Dence – Always Greener: Series 2, Episode 9 "Understanding The Cry" (Seven Network) Sacha Horler – Grass Roots: Series 2, Episode 1 "Art" (ABC) Magda Szubanski – Kath & Kim: Series 2 (ABC) |
| Best Direction | Best Screenplay |
| Brendan Maher – After The Deluge (Network Ten) Ian Gilmour – Bootleg: Episode 2 (BBC) Peter Andrikidis – Grass Roots: Series 2, Episode 10 "By-Election" (ABC) Stephen Johnson – Out There: Episode 12 "Reilly Had a Little Goat" (ABC) | Geoffrey Atherden – Grass Roots: Series 2, Episode 10 "By-Election" (ABC) Andrew Knight – After The Deluge (Network Ten) Chris Taylor, Julian Morrow and Charles Firth – CNNNN: Episode 7 "Lunchgate" (ABC) Bill Garner – MDA: Series 2, Episode 9 "Crossing The Line" (ABC) |
| Best Children's Television Drama | |
| Out There (ABC) – Michael Bourchier Bootleg (BBC) – Ewan Burnett Don't Blame The Koalas (ABC) – Noel Price and Dennis Kiely Worst Best Friends (Network Ten) – Sue Seeary | |

### Non-feature film

| Best Documentary | Best Direction in a Documentary |
| Wildness – Michael McMahon Painting with Light in a Dark World – Renata Schuman and Ellenor Cox Silent Storm – Peter Butt and Rob McAuely The Original Mermaid – Ian Collie | Sascha Ettinger-Epstein – Painting with Light in a Dark World Wain Fimeri – Love Letters From a War Peter Butt – Silent Storm Scott Milwood – Wildness |
| Best Short Fiction Film | Best Short Animation |
| Cracker Bag – Glendyn Ivin Preservation – Sofya Gollan Roy Höllsdotter Live – Matthew Saville The Visitor – Dan Castle | Harvie Krumpet – Adam Elliot Cane Toad: What Happened To Baz? – David Clayton and Andrew Silke Hello – Jonathan Nix Mother Tongue – Susan Kim |
| Best Screenplay in a Short Film | Best Cinematography in a Non-Feature Film |
| Glendyn Ivin – Cracker Bag Steven McGregor – Cold Turkey Sofya Gollan – Preservation Scott Pickett – The Rouseabout | Anthony Jennings – The Projectionist Greig Fraser – Cracker Bag Calvin Gardiner and Peter Butt – Silent Storm Klaus Toft – The Navigators: Baudin vs Flinders |
| Best Editing in a Non-Feature Film | Best Sound in a Non-Feature Film |
| Rolland Gallois and Andrew Aristides – Painting with Light in a Dark World Jack Hutchings – Cracker Bag Geoff Hitchins – Roy Höllsdotter Live Sally Fryer – The Original Mermaid | Jonathan Nix – Hello Julian Ellingworth – Silent Storm Doran Kipen, Mark Street and Cameron Davies – The Navigators: Baudin vs Flinders Paul Charlier and Ian McLoughlin – The Projectionist |

### Additional Awards

| Young Actor's Award | Best Foreign Film |
| Liam Hess – Don't Blame the Koalas (ABC) Emily Browning – After The Deluge (Network Ten) Mason Richardson – Teesh and Trude (SBS) | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne and Fran Walsh Bowling for Columbine – Charles Bishop, Jim Czarnecki, Michael Donovan, Kathleen Glynn and Michael Moore The Hours – Robert Fox and Scott Rudin Whale Rider – John Barnett, Frank Hübner and Tim Sanders |
| Open Craft AFI Award – Television | Open Craft AFI Award – Non Feature Film |
| John Safran's Music Jamboree (SBS) – John Safran (for Original Music) After The Deluge (Network Ten) – Cezary Skubiszewski (for Original Music) Big Bite (Seven Network) – Peta Hastings, Karchi Maygar and Natalie Vincentich (for Creative Make-Up) Bootleg (BBC) – Craig Barden ACS (for Cinematography) | The Brotherhood – Terry Carlyon (for Excellence in Research and Innovative Storytelling) Cold Turkey – John Moore (for Acting) Love Letters From a War – Wain Fimeri (for Dramatisation) Preservation – Margot Wilson and Elizabeth Mary Moore (for Production and Costume Design) |

### Individual Awards

| Award | Winner |
| Byron Kennedy Award | Dion Beebe |
| Raymond Longford Award | Ted Robinson |
| Global Achievement Award | Geoffrey Rush |
| AFI Screenwriting Prize | Alison Tilson |

## Multiple nominations

The following films received multiple nominations.
* 14 nominations: Gettin' Square
* 10 nominations: Japanese Story
* 9 nominations: Ned Kelly