# AACTA Award for Best Direction

The AACTA Award for Best Direction is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is to "identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film and television." The award is presented at the annual AACTA Awards, which hand out accolades for achievements in feature film, television, documentaries and short films.
From 1969 to 2010, the category was presented by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), the Academy's parent organisation, at the annual Australian Film Institute Awards (known as the AFI Awards). When the AFI launched the Academy in 2011, it changed the annual ceremony to the AACTA Awards, with the current award being a continuum of the AFI Award for Best Direction.
Bruce Beresford, Rolf de Heer, Ray Lawrence, Baz Luhrmann, George Miller, Fred Schepisi, Peter Weir and Jennifer Kent have received the award the most times with two each. Paul Cox has been nominated seven times, more than any other director with one win.

## 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 director in bold and in dark blue background have received a special award; those in bold and in yellow background have won a regular competitive award. Those that are neither highlighted nor in bold are the nominees. Within each year, the table lists the winning director first and then the other nominees.
| Year | Director(s) | Film |
| 1970s |||
| 1971 | Peter Weir | Homesdale |
| 1972 | Tim Burstall | Stork |
| 1973 | Eric Porter | Marco Polo Junior Versus the Red Dragon |
| 1974/5 | John Power | Billy and Percy |
| 1976 | Fred Schepisi | The Devil's Playground |
| 1976 | Tim Burstall | End Play |
| 1976 | Bert Deling | Pure S |
| 1976 | Peter Weir | Picnic at Hanging Rock |
| 1977 | Bruce Beresford | Don's Party |
| 1977 | Chris Löfvén | Oz |
| 1977 | Philippe Mora | Mad Dog Morgan |
| 1977 | Henri Safran | Storm Boy |
| 1978 | Phillip Noyce | Newsfront |
| 1978 | John Duigan | Mouth to Mouth |
| 1978 | Fred Schepisi | The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith |
| 1978 | Peter Weir | The Last Wave |
| 1979 | Gillian Armstrong | My Brilliant Career |
| 1979 | Donald Crombie | Cathy's Child |
| 1979 | George Miller | Mad Max |
| 1979 | Esben Storm | In Search of Anna |
| 1980s |||
| 1980 | Bruce Beresford | Breaker Morant |
| 1980 | John Honey | Manganinnie |
| 1980 | Stephen Wallace | Stir |
| 1980 | Simon Wincer | Harlequin |
| 1981 | Peter Weir | Gallipoli |
| 1981 | Bruce Beresford | The Club |
| 1981 | John Duigan | Winter of Our Dreams |
| 1981 | Claude Whatham | Hoodwink |
| 1982 | George Miller | Mad Max 2 |
| 1982 | Paul Cox | Lonely Hearts |
| 1982 | Michael Pattinson | Moving Out |
| 1982 | Carl Schultz | Goodbye Paradise |
| 1983 | Carl Schultz | Careful, He Might Hear You |
| 1983 | Paul Cox | Man of Flowers |
| 1983 | Peter Weir | The Year of Living Dangerously |
| 1983 | Simon Wincer | Phar Lap |
| 1984 | Paul Cox | My First Wife |
| 1984 | Gil Brealey | Annie's Coming Out |
| 1984 | Ken Cameron | Fast Talking |
| 1984 | Sophia Turkiewicz | Silver City |
| 1985 | Ray Lawrence | Bliss |
| 1985 | Bill Bennett | A Street to Die |
| 1985 | Bob Ellis | Unfinished Business |
| 1985 | Glenda Hambly | Fran |
| 1986 | Nadia Tass | Malcolm |
| 1986 | Bruce Beresford | The Fringe Dwellers |
| 1986 | Paul Cox | Cactus |
| 1986 | George Ogilvie | Short Changed |
| 1987 | John Duigan | The Year My Voice Broke |
| 1987 | Gillian Armstrong | High Tide |
| 1987 | Bruce Myles, Michael Pattinson | Ground Zero |
| 1987 | Roger Scholes | The Tale of Ruby Rose |
| 1988 | Vincent Ward | The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey |
| 1988 | Pino Amenta | Boulevard of Broken Dreams |
| 1988 | Craig Lahiff | Fever |
| 1988 | Don McLennan | Mull |
| 1989 | Fred Schepisi | Evil Angels |
| 1989 | Paul Cox | Island |
| 1989 | Ben Lewin | Georgia |
| 1989 | Phillip Noyce | Dead Calm |
| 1990s |||
| 1990 | Ray Argall | Return Home |
| 1990 | Paul Cox | Golden Braid |
| 1990 | Jerzy Domaradzki | Struck by Lightning |
| 1990 | Stephen Wallace | Blood Oath |
| 1991 | Jocelyn Moorhouse | Proof |
| 1991 | Rolf de Heer | Dingo |
| 1991 | Jackie McKimmie | Waiting |
| 1991 | John Ruane | Death in Brunswick |
| 1992 | Baz Luhrmann | Strictly Ballroom |
| 1992 | Gillian Armstrong | The Last Days of Chez Nous |
| 1992 | Bruce Beresford | Black Robe |
| 1992 | Geoffrey Wright | Romper Stomper |
| 1993 | Jane Campion | The Piano |
| 1993 | Michael Jenkins | The Heartbreak Kid |
| 1993 | Vincent Ward | Map of the Human Heart |
| 1993 | James Ricketson | Blackfellas |
| 1994 | Rolf de Heer | Bad Boy Bubby |
| 1994 | Stephan Elliott | The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert |
| 1994 | P. J. Hogan | Muriel's Wedding |
| 1994 | Alkinos Tsilimidos | Everynight ... Everynight |
| 1995 | Michael Rymer | Angel Baby |
| 1995 | Richard Franklin | Hotel Sorrento |
| 1995 | Margot Nash | Vacant Possession |
| 1995 | John Ruane | That Eye, the Sky |
| 1996 | Scott Hicks | Shine |
| 1996 | Paul Cox | Lust and Revenge |
| 1996 | Peter Duncan | Children of the Revolution |
| 1996 | Clara Law | Floating Life |
| 1997 | Bill Bennett | Kiss or Kill |
| 1997 | David Caesar | Idiot Box |
| 1997 | Chris Kennedy | Doing Time for Patsy Cline |
| 1997 | Samantha Lang | The Well |
| 1998 | Rowan Woods | The Boys |
| 1998 | Ana Kokkinos | Head On |
| 1998 | Craig Monahan | The Interview |
| 1998 | Rachel Perkins | Radiance |
| 1999 | Gregor Jordan | Two Hands |
| 1999 | Christina Andreef | Soft Fruit |
| 1999 | Bill Bennett | In a Savage Land |
| 1999 | John Curran | Praise |
| 2000s |||
| 2000 | Andrew Dominik | Chopper |
| 2000 | Pip Karmel | Me Myself I |
| 2000 | Jonathan Teplitzky | Better Than Sex |
| 2000 | Kate Woods | Looking for Alibrandi |
| 2001 | Ray Lawrence | Lantana |
| 2001 | David Caesar | Mullet |
| 2001 | Robert Connolly | The Bank |
| 2001 | Baz Luhrmann | Moulin Rouge! |
| 2002 | Ivan Sen | Beneath Clouds |
| 2002 | Tony Ayres | Walking on Water |
| 2002 | Rolf de Heer | The Tracker |
| 2002 | Phillip Noyce | Rabbit-Proof Fence |
| 2003 | Sue Brooks | Japanese Story |
| 2003 | Gregor Jordan | Ned Kelly |
| 2003 | Paul Moloney | Crackerjack |
| 2003 | Jonathan Teplitzky | Gettin' Square |
| 2004 | Cate Shortland | Somersault |
| 2004 | Khoa Do | The Finished People |
| 2004 | Jan Sardi | Love's Brother |
| 2004 | Alkinos Tsilimidos | Tom White |
| 2005 | Sarah Watt | Look Both Ways |
| 2005 | John Hillcoat | The Proposition |
| 2005 | Greg McLean | Wolf Creek |
| 2005 | Rowan Woods | Little Fish |
| 2006 | Peter Djigirr, Rolf de Heer | Ten Canoes |
| 2006 | Paul Goldman | Suburban Mayhem |
| 2006 | Clayton Jacobson | Kenny |
| 2006 | Ray Lawrence | Jindabyne |
| 2007 | Tony Ayres | The Home Song Stories |
| 2007 | Cherie Nowlan | Clubland |
| 2007 | Richard Roxburgh | Romulus, My Father |
| 2007 | Matthew Saville | Noise |
| 2008 | Elissa Down | The Black Balloon |
| 2008 | Peter Duncan | Unfinished Sky |
| 2008 | Nash Edgerton | The Square |
| 2008 | Dee McLachlan | The Jammed |
| 2009 | Warwick Thornton | Samson and Delilah |
| 2009 | Bruce Beresford | Mao's Last Dancer |
| 2009 | Robert Connolly | Balibo |
| 2009 | Rachel Ward | Beautiful Kate |
| 2010s |||
| 2010 | David Michôd | Animal Kingdom |
| 2010 | Julie Bertuccelli | The Tree |
| 2010 | Jane Campion | Bright Star |
| 2010 | Jeremy Sims | Beneath Hill 60 |
| AACTA Awards |||
| 2011 (1st) | Justin Kurzel | Snowtown |
| 2011 (1st) | Daniel Nettheim | The Hunter |
| 2011 (1st) | Fred Schepisi | The Eye of the Storm |
| 2011 (1st) | Kriv Stenders | Red Dog |
| 2012 (2nd) | Wayne Blair | The Sapphires |
| 2012 (2nd) | Kieran Darcy-Smith | Wish You Were Here |
| 2012 (2nd) | Cate Shortland | Lore |
| 2012 (2nd) | Jonathan Teplitzky | Burning Man |
| 2013 (3rd) | Baz Luhrmann | The Great Gatsby |
| 2013 (3rd) | Kim Mordaunt | The Rocket |
| 2013 (3rd) | Ivan Sen | Mystery Road |
| 2013 (3rd) | The Turning Ensemble | The Turning |
| 2014 (4th) | Jennifer Kent | The Babadook |
| 2014 (4th) | Rolf de Heer | Charlie's Country |
| 2014 (4th) | David Michôd | The Rover |
| 2014 (4th) | The Spierig Brothers | Predestination |
| 2015 (5th) | George Miller | Mad Max: Fury Road |
| 2015 (5th) | Neil Armfield | Holding the Man |
| 2015 (5th) | Jocelyn Moorhouse | The Dressmaker |
| 2015 (5th) | Jeremy Sims | Last Cab to Darwin |
| 2016 (6th) | Mel Gibson | Hacksaw Ridge |
| 2016 (6th) | Martin Butler, Bentley Dean | Tanna |
| 2016 (6th) | Rosemary Myers | Girl Asleep |
| 2016 (6th) | Ivan Sen | Goldstone |
| 2017 (7th) | Garth Davis | Lion |
| 2017 (7th) | Cate Shortland | Berlin Syndrome |
| 2017 (7th) | Jeffrey Walker | Ali's Wedding |
| 2017 (7th) | Ben Young | Hounds of Love |
| 2018 (8th) | Warwick Thornton | Sweet Country |
| 2018 (8th) | Joel Edgerton | Boy Erased |
| 2018 (8th) | Simon Baker | Breath |
| 2018 (8th) | Bruce Beresford | Ladies in Black |
| 2019 (9th) | Jennifer Kent | The Nightingale |
| 2019 (9th) | Anthony Maras | Hotel Mumbai |
| 2019 (9th) | Mirrah Foulkes | Judy and Punch |
| 2019 (9th) | David Michôd | The King |
| 2020s |||
| 2020 (10th) | Shannon Murphy | Babyteeth |
| 2020 (10th) | John Sheedy | H Is for Happiness |
| 2020 (10th) | Leigh Whannell | The Invisible Man |
| 2020 (10th) | Natalie Erika James | Relic |
| 2020 (10th) | Justin Kurzel | True History of the Kelly Gang |
| 2021 (11th) | Justin Kurzel | Nitram |
| 2021 (11th) | Robert Connolly | The Dry |
| 2021 (11th) | Glendin Ivin | Penguin Bloom |
| 2021 (11th) | Roderick MacKay | The Furnace |
| 2021 (11th) | Stephen Maxwell Johnson | High Ground |
| 2022 (12th) | Baz Luhrmann | Elvis |
| 2022 (12th) | Hannah Barlow, Kane Senes | Sissy |
| 2022 (12th) | Leah Purcell | The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson |
| 2022 (12th) | Thomas M. Wright | The Stranger |
| 2022 (12th) | George Miller | Three Thousand Years of Longing |