# AACTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay

The AACTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), for an Australian screenplay "based on material previously released or published". Prior to the establishment of the Academy in 2011, the award was presented by the Australian Film Institute (AFI) at the annual Australian Film Institute Awards (more commonly known as the AFI Awards). It was first handed out in 1978 when the award for Best Screenplay (which was first presented at the 1974-75 awards) was split into two categories: Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay. The award has since been presented intermittently from 1978–1979, 1983–1987, 1989, 1993–2003, 2005–2006, and then from 2008–present.

## Winners and nominees

In the following table, the years listed correspond to the year of film release; the ceremonies are usually held the same year. The films and screenwriters in bold and in yellow background have won are the winners. Those that are neither highlighted nor in bold are the nominees. When sorted chronologically, the table always lists the winning screenplay first and then the other nominees.
| Year | Film | Screenwriter(s) | Source |
| 1970s ||||
| 1978 | The Getting of Wisdom | Eleanor Witcombe | The Getting of Wisdom (novel) by Henry Handel Richardson |
| 1978 | The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith | Fred Schepisi | The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (novel) by Thomas Keneally |
| 1978 | The Mango Tree | Michael Pate | The Mango Tree (novel) by Ronald McKie |
| 1978 | Weekend of Shadows | Peter Yeldham | The Reckoning (novel) by Hugh Atkinson |
| 1979 | My Brilliant Career | Eleanor Witcombe | My Brilliant Career (novel) by Miles Franklin |
| 1979 | Cathy's Child | Ken Quinnell | A Piece of Paper (novel) by Dick Wordley |
| 1979 | The Last of the Knucklemen | Tim Burstall | The Last of the Knucklemen (play) by John Power |
| 1979 | Money Movers | Bruce Beresford | Money Movers (novel) by Devon Minchin |
| 1980s ||||
| 1983 | Careful, He Might Hear You | Michael Jenkins | Careful, He Might Hear You (novel) by Sumner Locke Elliott |
| 1983 | Now and Forever | Richard Cassidy | Now and Forever (novel) by Danielle Steel |
| 1983 | The Wild Duck | Tutte Lemkow, Dido Merwin, Henri Safran, Peter Smalley | The Wild Duck (play) by Henrik Ibsen |
| 1983 | The Year of Living Dangerously | Peter Weir, David Williamson | The Year of Living Dangerously (novel) by Christopher Koch |
| 1984 | Annie's Coming Out | John Patterson, Chris Borthwick | Annie's Coming Out (novel) by Rosemary Crossley & Anne McDonald |
| 1984 | BMX Bandits | Russell Hagg | Story by Patrick Edgeworth |
| 1984 | Razorback | Everett De Roche | Razorback (novel) by Peter Brennan |
| 1984 | Strikebound | Richard Lowenstein | Dead Men Don't Dig Coal (novel) by Wendy Lowenstein |
| 1985 | Bliss | Peter Carey, Ray Lawrence | Bliss (novel) by Peter Carey |
| 1985 | An Indecent Obsession | Denise Morgan | An Indecent Obsession (novel) by Colleen McCullough |
| 1985 | The Coca-Cola Kid | Frank Moorhouse | The Americans Baby (novel) by Frank Moorhouse |
| 1985 | Rebel | Michael Jenkins | No Names, No Pack Drill (play) by Bob Herbert |
| 1986 | The Fringe Dwellers | Bruce & Rhoisin Beresford | The Fringe Dwellers by Peter Carey |
| 1986 | For Love Alone | Stephen Wallace | Stephen Wallace (novel) by Christina Stead |
| 1986 | Kangaroo | Evan Jones | Kangaroo (novel) by D. H. Lawrence |
| 1986 | Playing Beatie Bow | Peter Gawler | Playing Beatie Bow (novel) by Ruth Park |
| 1987 | Travelling North | David Williamson | Travelling North (play) by David Williamson |
| 1987 | The Place at the Coast | Hilary Furlong | The Place at the Coast (novel) by Jane Hyde |
| 1987 | Slate, Wyn & Me | Don McLennan | Slate, Wyn & Me (novel) by Georgia Savage |
| 1987 | Vincent | Paul Cox | The Letters of Vincent van Gogh |
| 1989 | Evil Angels | Robert Caswell, Fred Schepisi | Evil Angels (novel) by John Bryson |
| 1989 | Compo | Abe Pogos | Compo (play) by Abe Pogos |
| 1989 | Dead Calm | Terry Hayes | Dead Calm (novel) by Charles F. Williams |
| 1989 | Emerald City | David Williamson | Emerald City (play) by David Williamson |
| 1990s ||||
| 1993 | Blackfellas | James Ricketson, Archie Weller | Blackfellas (novel) by Archie Weller |
| 1993 | Black River | Kevin Lucas | Black River (opera) by Andrew & Julianne Schultz |
| 1993 | No Worries | David Holman | No Worries (play) by David Holman |
| 1993 | The Silver Brumby | Elyne Mitchell, Jon Stephens | Silver Brumby (novels) by Elyne Mitchell |
| 1994 | The Sum of Us | David Stevens | The Sum of Us (play) by David Stevens |
| 1994 | Country Life | Michael Blakemore, Anton Chekhov | Uncle Vanya (play) by Anton Chekhov |
| 1994 | Everynight ... Everynight | Ray Mooney, Alkinos Tsilimidos | Everynight ... Everynight (play) by Ray Mooney |
| 1994 | Traps | Robert Carter, Pauline Chan | Dreamhouse (novel) by Kate Grenville |
| 1995 | Hotel Sorrento | Richard Franklin, Peter Fitzpatrick | Hotel Sorrento (play) by Hannie Rayson |
| 1995 | Dad and Dave: On Our Selection | Geoffrey Atherden, Steele Rudd | Characters by Steele Rudd |
| 1995 | Sanctuary | David Williamson | Sanctuary (play) by David Williamson |
| 1995 | That Eye, the Sky | John Ruane, Jim Barton | That Eye, the Sky (novel) by Tim Winton. |
| 1996 | Cosi | Louis Nowra | Così (play) by Louis Nowra |
| 1996 | Dead Heart | Nick Parsons | Dead Heart (play) by Nick Parsons |
| 1996 | Life | John Brumpton, Lawrence Johnston | Containment (play) by John Brumpton |
| 1996 | What I Have Written | John A. Scott | What I Have Written (novel) by John A. Scott |
| 1997 | The Well | Laura Jones | The Well (novel) by Elizabeth Jolley |
| 1997 | Blackrock | Nick Enright | Blackrock (play) by Nick Enright |
| 1997 | Love in Ambush | Carl Schultz | Jarai (novel) by Loup Durand |
| 1998 | The Boys | Stephen Sewell | The Boys (play) by Gordon Graham |
| 1998 | Head On | Ana Kokkinos | Loaded (novel) by Christos Tsiolkas |
| 1998 | Oscar and Lucinda | Laura Jones | Oscar and Lucinda (novel) by John Brumpton |
| 1998 | Radiance | Louis Nowra | Radiance (play) by Louis Nowra |
| 1999 | Praise | Andrew McGahan | Praise (novel) by Andrew McGahan |
| 2000s ||||
| 2000 | Looking for Alibrandi | Melina Marchetta | Looking for Alibrandi (novel) by Melina Marchetta |
| 2000 | Chopper | Andrew Dominik | The autobiographies of Mark "Chopper" Read |
| 2000 | The Magic Pudding | Harry Cripps, Greg Haddrick, Simon Hopkinson | The Magic Pudding (book) by Norman Lindsay |
| 2001 | Lantana | Andrew Bovell | Speaking In Tongues (novel) by Andrew Bovell |
| 2001 | He Died with a Felafel in His Hand | Richard Lowenstein | He Died with a Felafel in His Hand (novel) by John Birmingham |
| 2001 | The Monkey's Mask | Anne Kennedy, Dorothy Porter | The Monkey's Mask (novel) by Dorothy Porter |
| 2001 | Silent Partner | Daniel Keene | Silent Partner (play) by Daniel Keene |
| 2002 | Australian Rules | Paul Goldman, Phillip Gwynne | Deadly, Unna? (novel) by Phillip Gwynne |
| 2002 | Molokai: The Story of Father Damien | John Briley | Molokai: The Story of Father Damien (novel) by Hilde Eynikel |
| 2002 | Rabbit-Proof Fence | Christine Olsen | Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence (novel) by Doris Pilkington |
| 2002 | Swimming Upstream | Tony Fingleton | Swimming Upstream (autobiography) by Diane & Tony Fingleton |
| 2003 | The Rage in Placid Lake | Tony McNamara | The Cafe Latte Kid (play) by Tony McNamara |
| 2003 | Blurred | Stephen Davies, Kier Shorey | Blurred (play) by Stephen Davis |
| 2003 | Ned Kelly | John Michael McDonagh | Our Sunshine (novel) by Robert Drewe |
| 2003 | Teesh and Trude | Vanessa Lomma | Teesh and Trude (play) by Wilson McCaskill |
| 2005 | Three Dollars | Robert Connolly, Elliot Perlman | Three Dollars (novel) by Elliot Perlman |
| 2005 | Hating Alison Ashley | Christine Madafferi | Hating Alison Ashley (novel) by Robin Klein |
| 2005 | The Illustrated Family Doctor | David Snell, Kriv Stenders | The Illustrated Family Doctor (novel) by Robert Drewe |
| 2005 | The Widower | Lyndon Terracini | Evening Alone at Bunyah, Noonday Axeman, The Widower in the Country, Cowyard Gates and The Last Hellos (poems) by Les Murray |
| 2006 | Candy | Neil Armfield, Luke Davies | Candy: A Novel of Love and Addiction (novel) by Luke Davies |
| 2006 | The Book of Revelation | Andrew Bovell, Ana Kokkinos | The Book of Revelation (novel) by Rupert Thomson |
| 2006 | Jindabyne | Beatrix Christian | So Much Water So Close to Home (short story) by Raymond Carver |
| 2006 | Last Train to Freo | Reg Cribb | The Return (play) by Reg Cribb |
| 2008 | Unfinished Sky | Peter Duncan | The Polish Bride (1998 screenplay) by Kees van der Hulst |
| 2008 | All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane | Stephen Vagg | All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane (play_ by Stephen Vagg |
| 2009 | Balibo | Robert Connolly, David Williamson | Cover-Up (novel) by Jill Jolliffe |
| 2009 | Beautiful Kate | Rachel Ward | Beautiful Kate (novel) by Newton Thornburg |
| 2009 | Blessed | Andrew Bovell, Patricia Cornelius, Melissa Reeves and Christos Tsiolkas | Who's Afraid of the Working Class? (play) by Andrew Bovell |
| 2009 | Mao's Last Dancer | Jan Sardi | Mao's Last Dancer (autobiography) by Li Cunxin |
| 2010s ||||
| 2010 | Tomorrow, When the War Began | Stuart Beattie | Tomorrow, When the War Began (novel) by John Marsden |
| 2010 | Bran Nue Dae | Reg Cribb, Rachel Perkins | Bran Nue Dae (musical) by Jimmy Chi |
| 2010 | The Boys Are Back | Allan Cubitt | The Boys Are Back In Town (novel) by Simon Carr |
| 2010 | The Tree | Julie Bertuccelli | Our Father Who Art in the Tree (novel) by Judy Pascoe |
| AACTA Awards ||||
| 2011 (1st) | Snowtown | Shaun Grant | The Snowtown murders |
| 2011 (1st) | The Eye of the Storm | Judy Morris | The Eye of the Storm (novel) by Patrick White |
| 2011 (1st) | The Hunter | Alice Addison | The Hunter (novel) by Julia Leigh |
| 2011 (1st) | Red Dog | Daniel Taplitz | Red Dog (novel) by Louis de Bernières |
| 2012 (2nd) | The Sapphires | Tony Briggs, Keith Thompson | The Sapphires (play) by Tony Briggs |
| 2012 (2nd) | Lore | Robin Mukherjee, Cate Shortland | The Dark Room (novel) by Rachel Seiffert |
| 2013 (3rd) | The Great Gatsby | Baz Luhrmann, Craig Pearce | The Great Gatsby (novel) by F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| 2013 (3rd) | Adoration | Christopher Hampton | The Grandmothers (short story collection) by Doris Lessing |
| 2013 (3rd) | Dead Europe | Louise Fox | Dead Europe (novel) by Christos Tsiolkas |
| 2013 (3rd) | The Turning | The Turning Ensemble | The Turning (short story collection) by Tim Winton |
| 2014 (4th) | The Railway Man | Frank Cottrell Boyce, Andy Paterson | The Railway Man (novel) by Eric Lomax |
| 2014 (4th) | Predestination | The Spierig Brothers | All You Zombies (novel) by Robert A. Heinlein |
| 2015 (5th) | Last Cab to Darwin | Reg Cribb, Jeremy Sims | Last Cab to Darwin (play) by Reg Cribb |
| 2015 (5th) | Holding the Man | Tommy Murphy | Holding the Man (autobiography) by Timothy Conigrave |
| 2015 (5th) | Ruben Guthrie | Brendan Cowell | Ruben Guthrie (play) by Brendan Cowell |
| 2016 (6th) | The Daughter | Simon Stone | The Wild Duck (play) by Henrik Ibsen |
| 2016 (6th) | Girl Asleep | Matthew Whittet | Girl Asleep (play) by Matthew Whittet |
| 2017 (7th) | Lion | Luke Davies | A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley and Larry Buttrose |
| 2017 (7th) | Berlin Syndrome | Shaun Grant | Berlin Syndrome (book) by Melanie Joosten |
| 2017 (7th) | Don't Tell | Anne Brooksbank, Ursula Cleary, James Greville | Based on a true story |
| 2017 (7th) | Jasper Jones | Shaun Grant, Craig Silvey | Jasper Jones (book) by Craig Silvey |
| 2018 (8th) |
| 2018 (8th) | Boy Erased | Joel Edgerton | Boy Erased: A Memoir by Garrard Conley |
| 2018 (8th) | Breath | Simon Baker, Gerard Lee, Tim Winton | Breath (novel) by Tim Winton |
| 2018 (8th) | Cargo | Yolanda Ramke | Cargo (short film) by Ben Howling, Yolanda Ramke |
| 2018 (8th) | Ladies in Black | Bruce Beresford, Sue Milliken | Ladies in Black (play) by Carolyn Burns |
| 2021 (11th) |
| 2021 (11th) | The Dry | Robert Connolly, Harry Cripps | The Dry (novel) by Jane Harper |
| 2021 (11th) | Penguin Bloom | Shaun Grant, Harry Cripps | Penguin Bloom (novel) by Bradley Trevor Greive |
| 2021 (11th) | Peter Rabbit 2 | Patrick Burleigh, Will Gluck | Peter Rabbit (stories) by Beatrix Potter |
| 2021 (11th) | Rams | James Duncan | Rams (2015 film) by Grímur Hákonarson |