# AACTA Award for Best Film

The AACTA Award for Best Film is an award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) at the annual AACTA Awards, which hand out accolades for achievements in feature film, television, documentaries, and short films. The inaugural award was presented in 1969 by the Australian Film Institute, becoming a competitive award in 1976. Since 2011 it has awarded by the Academy, established by the AFI in 2010.

## History

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 Film.
From 1969 to 1975, the award was presented as a gold, silver, bronze or grand prix prize, or in some years, a cash prize.
The first winner, Jack and Jill: A Postscript, was nominated in the "general" category of the 1969 awards, and received a silver prize. Because non-feature films dominated the Australian film industry at that time, the film was submitted in the general category. Despite this, it is considered the first winner by the Academy. From the 1976 Australian Film Awards, the award became competitive, and has been given as such since then.

## Eligibility

To be eligible, the film must be Australian; consist of a dramatised story of at least 70 minutes duration; and be publicly exhibited in a commercial cinema for a minimum of seven consecutive days, in at least two capital cities (one of which is Sydney or Melbourne). The producer of the film is considered the nominee, and is presented the award upon winning.

## Description

The AACTA Award for Best film is presented by 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.

## 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. Films in bold and in dark blue background have received a gold, silver, bronze or grand prix prize, or a cash prize; those in bold and in yellow background have won a regular competitive award. Films that are neither highlighted nor in bold are the nominees. When sorted chronologically, the table always lists the winning film first and then the other nominees.
| Year | Film | Producer(s) |
| AFI Awards |||
| 1960s |||
| 1969 (11th) | Jack and Jill: A Postscript | Phillip Adams, Brian Robinson |
| 1970s |||
| 1970 (12th) | Three to Go: Michael | Gil Brealey |
| 1971 (13th) | Homesdale | Grahame Bond, Richard Brennan |
| 1972 (14th) | Stork | Tim Burstall |
| 1973 (15th) | 27A | Haydn Keenan |
| 1973 (15th) | Libido: The Child | Christopher Muir, John B. Murray |
| 1974–75 (16th and 17th) |
| 1974–75 (16th and 17th) | Sunday Too Far Away | Gil Brealey, Matt Carroll |
| 1974–75 (16th and 17th) | Petersen | Tim Burstall |
| 1974–75 (16th and 17th) | Between Wars | Michael Thornhill |
| 1976 (18th) |
| 1976 (18th) | The Devil's Playground | Fred Schepisi |
| 1976 (18th) | Caddie | Anthony Buckley |
| 1976 (18th) | Picnic at Hanging Rock | Hal and Jim McElroy |
| 1976 (18th) | Pure Shit | Bob Weis |
| 1977 (19th) |
| 1977 (19th) | Storm Boy | Matt Carroll |
| 1977 (19th) | Break of Day | Patricia Lovell |
| 1977 (19th) | Don's Party | Phillip Adams |
| 1977 (19th) | The Picture Show Man | Joan Long |
| 1978 (20th) |
| 1978 (20th) | Newsfront | David Elfick |
| 1978 (20th) | Mouth to Mouth | John Duigan, Jon Sainken |
| 1978 (20th) | Patrick | Richard Franklin, Antony I. Ginnane |
| 1978 (20th) | The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith | Fred Schepisi |
| 1979 (21st) |
| 1979 (21st) | My Brilliant Career | Margaret Fink |
| 1979 (21st) | Cathy's Child | Pom Oliver, Errol Sullivan |
| 1979 (21st) | In Search of Anna | Esben Storm |
| 1979 (21st) | Mad Max | Byron Kennedy |
| 1980s |||
| 1980 (22nd) |
| 1980 (22nd) | Breaker Morant | Matt Carroll |
| 1980 (22nd) | Manganinnie | Gilda Baracchi |
| 1980 (22nd) | ...Maybe This Time | Brian Kavanagh |
| 1980 (22nd) | Stir | Richard Brennan |
| 1981 (23rd) |
| 1981 (23rd) | Gallipoli | Patricia Lovell, Robert Stigwood |
| 1981 (23rd) | The Club | Matt Carroll |
| 1981 (23rd) | Winter of Our Dreams | Richard Mason |
| 1981 (23rd) | Wrong Side of the Road | Graeme Isaac, Ned Lander |
| 1982 (24th) |
| 1982 (24th) | Lonely Hearts | John B. Murray |
| 1982 (24th) | Goodbye Paradise | Jane Scott |
| 1982 (24th) | Monkey Grip | Patricia Lovell |
| 1982 (24th) | We of the Never Never | Greg Tepper, John B. Murray |
| 1983 (25th) |
| 1983 (25th) | Careful, He Might Hear You | Jill Robb |
| 1983 (25th) | Man of Flowers | Jane Ballantyne, Paul Cox |
| 1983 (25th) | Phar Lap | John Sexton |
| 1983 (25th) | The Year of Living Dangerously | Jim McElroy |
| 1984 (26th) |
| 1984 (26th) | Annie's Coming Out | Don Murray |
| 1984 (26th) | My First Wife | Jane Ballantyne, Paul Cox |
| 1984 (26th) | Silver City | Joan Long |
| 1984 (26th) | Strikebound | Miranda Bain, Richard Lowenstein, Timothy White |
| 1985 (27th) |
| 1985 (27th) | Bliss | Anthony Buckley |
| 1985 (27th) | A Street to Die | Bill Bennett |
| 1985 (27th) | Fran | David Rapsey |
| 1985 (27th) | Unfinished Business | Rebel Penfold-Russell |
| 1986 (28th) |
| 1986 (28th) | Malcolm | Nadia Tass, David Parker |
| 1986 (28th) | Short Changed | Ross Matthews |
| 1986 (28th) | The Fringe Dwellers | Sue Milliken |
| 1986 (28th) | The More Things Change... | Jill Robb |
| 1987 (29th) |
| 1987 (29th) | The Year My Voice Broke | Terry Hayes, George Miller, Doug Mitchell |
| 1987 (29th) | Ground Zero | Michael Pattinson |
| 1987 (29th) | High Tide | Sandra Levy |
| 1987 (29th) | The Tale of Ruby Rose | Bryce Menzies, Andrew Wiseman |
| 1988 (30th) |
| 1988 (30th) | The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey | David Elfick |
| 1988 (30th) | Boulevard of Broken Dreams | Frank Howson |
| 1988 (30th) | Grievous Bodily Harm | Richard Brennan |
| 1988 (30th) | Mull | D. Howard Grigsby |
| 1989 (31st) |
| 1989 (31st) | Evil Angels | Verity Lambert |
| 1989 (31st) | Dead Calm | Terry Hayes, George Miller, Doug Mitchell |
| 1989 (31st) | Ghosts... of the Civil Dead | Evan English |
| 1989 (31st) | Island | Paul Cox, Santhana K. Naidu |
| 1990s |||
| 1990 (32nd) |
| 1990 (32nd) | Flirting | Terry Hayes, George Miller, Doug Mitchell |
| 1990 (32nd) | Blood Oath | Charles Waterstreet, Denis Whitburn |
| 1990 (32nd) | Struck by Lightning | Terry J. Charatsis, Trevor Farrant |
| 1990 (32nd) | The Big Steal | Nadia Tass, David Parker |
| 1991 (33rd) |
| 1991 (33rd) | Proof | Lynda House |
| 1991 (33rd) | Death in Brunswick | Timothy White |
| 1991 (33rd) | Dingo | Rolf de Heer, Giorgio Draskovic, Marie-Pascale Osterrieth, Marc Rosenberg |
| 1991 (33rd) | Spotswood | Richard Brennan, Timothy White |
| 1992 (34th) |
| 1992 (34th) | Strictly Ballroom | Tristram Miall |
| 1992 (34th) | Black Robe | Robert Lantos, Sue Milliken, Stéphane Reichel |
| 1992 (34th) | Romper Stomper | Ian Pringle, Daniel Scharf |
| 1992 (34th) | The Last Days of Chez Nous | Jan Chapman |
| 1993 (35th) |
| 1993 (35th) | The Piano | Jan Chapman |
| 1993 (35th) | Map of the Human Heart | Tim Bevan, Vincent Ward |
| 1993 (35th) | On My Own | Leo Pescarolo, Elisa Resegotti |
| 1993 (35th) | The Heartbreak Kid | Ben Gannon |
| 1994 (36th) |
| 1994 (36th) | Muriel's Wedding | Lynda House, Jocelyn Moorhouse |
| 1994 (36th) | The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert | Al Clark, Michael Hamlyn |
| 1994 (36th) | Bad Boy Bubby | Rolf de Heer, Domenico Procacci, Giorgio Draskovic |
| 1994 (36th) | The Sum of Us | Hal McElroy |
| 1995 (37th) |
| 1995 (37th) | Angel Baby | Jonathan Shteinman, Timothy White |
| 1995 (37th) | All Men Are Liars | John Maynard |
| 1995 (37th) | Hotel Sorrento | Richard Franklin, Peter Fitzpatrick |
| 1995 (37th) | That Eye, the Sky | Hal McElroy |
| 1996 (37th) |
| 1996 (37th) | Shine | Jane Scott |
| 1996 (37th) | Children of the Revolution | Tristram Miall |
| 1996 (37th) | Love and Other Catastrophes | Helen Bandis, Stavros Kazantzidis, Yael Bergman |
| 1996 (37th) | Mr. Reliable | Hal McElroy |
| 1997 (39th) |
| 1997 (39th) | Kiss or Kill | Bill Bennett |
| 1997 (39th) | Blackrock | David Elfick, Rick Enright, Melanie Ritchie |
| 1997 (39th) | Doing Time for Patsy Cline | Chris Kennedy |
| 1997 (39th) | The Well | Sandra Levy |
| 1998 (40th) |
| 1998 (40th) | The Interview | Bill Hughes |
| 1998 (40th) | The Boys | Robert Connolly, John Maynard |
| 1998 (40th) | Head On | Jane Scott |
| 1998 (40th) | Radiance | Ned Lander, Andy Myer |
| 1999 (41st) |
| 1999 (41st) | Two Hands | Marian Macgowan |
| 1999 (41st) | Praise | Martha Coleman |
| 1999 (41st) | Siam Sunset | Max Dann, Andrew Knight |
| 1999 (41st) | Soft Fruit | Helen Bowden |
| 2000s |||
| 2000 (42nd) |
| 2000 (42nd) | Looking for Alibrandi | Robyn Kershaw |
| 2000 (42nd) | Better Than Sex | Frank Cox, Bruna Papandrea |
| 2000 (42nd) | Bootmen | Hilary Linstead |
| 2000 (42nd) | Chopper | Michele Bennett |
| 2001 (43rd) |
| 2001 (43rd) | Lantana | Jan Chapman |
| 2001 (43rd) | The Bank | John Maynard |
| 2001 (43rd) | The Dish | Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Michael Hirsh, Jane Kennedy, Rob Sitch |
| 2001 (43rd) | Moulin Rouge! | Baz Luhrmann, Fred Baron, Martin Brown |
| 2002 (44th) |
| 2002 (44th) | Rabbit-Proof Fence | Phillip Noyce, Christine Olsen, John Winter |
| 2002 (44th) | Australian Rules | Mark Lazarus |
| 2002 (44th) | Beneath Clouds | Teresa-Jayne Hanlon |
| 2002 (44th) | The Tracker | Julie Ryan, Rolf de Heer |
| 2003 (45th) |
| 2003 (45th) | Japanese Story | Sue Maslin |
| 2003 (45th) | Alexandra's Project | Rolf de Heer, Antonio Zeccola |
| 2003 (45th) | Gettin' Square | Martin Fabinyi, Timothy White, Trisha Lake |
| 2003 (45th) | The Rage in Placid Lake | Marian McGowan |
| 2004 (46th) |
| 2004 (46th) | Somersault | Anthony Anderson |
| 2004 (46th) | Love's Brother | Jane Scott |
| 2004 (46th) | The Old Man Who Read Love Stories | Julie Ryan |
| 2004 (46th) | Tom White | Daniel Scharf |
| 2005 (47th) |
| 2005 (47th) | Look Both Ways | Bridget Ikin, Barbara Masel, Andrew Myer |
| 2005 (47th) | Little Fish | Robert Mullis, Devesh Chetty, Kirk D'amico |
| 2005 (47th) | Oyster Farmer | Anthony Buckley, Piers Tempest |
| 2005 (47th) | The Proposition | Chris Brown, Jackie O'Sullivan, Chiara Menage, Cat Villiers |
| 2006 (48th) |
| 2006 (48th) | Ten Canoes | Rolf de Heer, Julie Ryan |
| 2006 (48th) | Candy | Margaret Fink, Emile Sherman |
| 2006 (48th) | Jindabyne | Philippa Bateman, Garry Charny, Catherine Jarman |
| 2006 (48th) | Kenny | Clayton Jacobson, Rohan Timlock |
| 2007 (49th) |
| 2007 (49th) | Romulus, My Father | Robert Connolly, John Maynard |
| 2007 (49th) | The Home Song Stories | Michael McMahon, Liz Watts |
| 2007 (49th) | Lucky Miles | Jo Dyer, Lesley Dyer |
| 2007 (49th) | Noise | Trevor Blainey |
| 2008 (50th) |
| 2008 (50th) | The Black Balloon | Tristram Miall |
| 2008 (50th) | The Jammed | Dee McLachlan, Andrea Buck |
| 2008 (50th) | The Square | Louise Smith |
| 2008 (50th) | Unfinished Sky | Cathy Overett, Anton Smit |
| 2009 (51st) |
| 2009 (51st) | Samson and Delilah | Kath Shelper |
| 2009 (51st) | Balibo | Anthony LaPaglia, John Maynard, Dominic Purcell, Rebecca Williamson |
| 2009 (51st) | Beautiful Kate | Bryan Brown, Leah Churchill-Brown |
| 2009 (51st) | Blessed | Al Clark, Barbara Gibbs, Phil Hunt, Marian Macgowan, Compton Ross |
| 2009 (51st) | Mao's Last Dancer | Jane Scott |
| 2009 (51st) | Mary and Max | Melanie Coombs |
| 2010s |||
| 2010 (52nd) |
| 2010 (52nd) | Animal Kingdom | Liz Watts |
| 2010 (52nd) | Beneath Hill 60 | Bill Leimbach |
| 2010 (52nd) | Bran Nue Dae | Robyn Kershaw, Graeme Isaac |
| 2010 (52nd) | Bright Star | Jan Chapman, Caroline Hewitt |
| 2010 (52nd) | The Tree | Sue Taylor, Yael Fogiel |
| 2010 (52nd) | Tomorrow, When the War Began | Andrew Mason, Michael Boughen |
| AACTA Awards |||
| 2011 (1st) |
| 2011 (1st) | Red Dog | Nelson Woss, Julie Ryan |
| 2011 (1st) | The Eye of the Storm | Antony Waddington, Gregory J. Read, Fred Schepisi |
| 2011 (1st) | The Hunter | Vincent Sheehan |
| 2011 (1st) | Mad Bastards | David Jowsey, Alan Pigram, Stephen Pigram, Brendan Fletcher |
| 2011 (1st) | Oranges and Sunshine | Camilla Bray, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning |
| 2011 (1st) | Snowtown | Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw |
| 2012 (2nd) |
| 2012 (2nd) | The Sapphires | Rosemary Blight, Kylie du Fresne |
| 2012 (2nd) | Burning Man | Andy Paterson, Jonathan Teplitzky |
| 2012 (2nd) | Lore | Karsten Stöter, Liz Watts, Paul Welsh, Benny Drechsel |
| 2012 (2nd) | Wish You Were Here | Angie Fielder |
| 2013 (3rd) |
| 2013 (3rd) | The Great Gatsby | Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Catherine Knapman |
| 2013 (3rd) | Dead Europe | Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Liz Watts |
| 2013 (3rd) | Mystery Road | David Jowsey |
| 2013 (3rd) | The Rocket | Sylvia Wilczynski |
| 2013 (3rd) | Satellite Boy | David Jowsey, Julie Ryan, Catriona McKenzie |
| 2013 (3rd) | The Turning | Robert Connolly, Maggie Miles, The Turning Ensemble |
| 2014 (4th) |
| 2014 (4th) | The Babadook | Kristina Ceyton, Kristian Molière |
| 2014 (4th) | The Water Diviner | Andrew Mason, Troy Lum, Keith Rodger |
| 2014 (4th) | Charlie's Country | Nils Erik Nielsen, Peter Djigirr, Rolf de Heer |
| 2014 (4th) | Predestination | Paddy McDonald, Tim McGahan, Peter Spierig, Michael Spierig |
| 2014 (4th) | The Railway Man | Chris Brown, Andy Paterson, Bill Curbishley |
| 2014 (4th) | Tracks | Emile Sherman, Iain Canning |
| 2015 (5th) |
| 2015 (5th) | Mad Max: Fury Road | Doug Mitchell, P. J. Voeten, George Miller |
| 2015 (5th) | The Dressmaker | Sue Maslin |
| 2015 (5th) | Holding the Man | Kylie du Fresne |
| 2015 (5th) | Last Cab to Darwin | Greg Duffy, Lisa Duff, Jeremy Sims |
| 2015 (5th) | Paper Planes | Robert Connolly, Maggie Miles, Liz Kearney |
| 2016 (6th) |
| 2016 (6th) | Hacksaw Ridge | Bill Mechanic, David Permut, Paul Currie, Bruce Davey |
| 2016 (6th) | The Daughter | Jan Chapman, Nicole O’Donohue |
| 2016 (6th) | Girl Asleep | Jo Dyer |
| 2016 (6th) | Goldstone | David Jowsey, Greer Simpkin |
| 2016 (6th) | Tanna | Martin Butler, Bentley Dean, Carolyn Johnson |
| 2017 (7th) |
| 2017 (7th) | Lion | Iain Canning, Angie Fielder, Emile Sherman |
| 2017 (7th) | Ali's Wedding | Sheila Jayadev, Helen Panckhurst |
| 2017 (7th) | Berlin Syndrome | Polly Staniford |
| 2017 (7th) | Hounds of Love | Melissa Kelly |
| 2017 (7th) | Jasper Jones | David Jowsey, Vincent Sheehan |
| 2018 (8th) |
| 2018 (8th) | Sweet Country | David Jowsey, Greer Simpkin |
| 2018 (8th) | Boy Erased | Joel Edgerton, Steve Golin, Kerry Kohansky Roberts |
| 2018 (8th) | Breath | Simon Baker, Jamie Hilton, Mark Johnson |
| 2018 (8th) | Cargo | Russell Ackerman, Kristina Ceyton, Samantha Jennings, Mark Patterson |
| 2018 (8th) | Ladies in Black | Sue Milliken, Allanah Zitserman |
| 2019 (9th) |
| 2019 (9th) | The Nightingale | Kristina Ceyton, Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky, Jennifer Kent |
| 2019 (9th) | Hotel Mumbai | Basil Iwanyk, Gary Hamilton, Julie Ryan, Jomon Thomas |
| 2019 (9th) | Judy and Punch | Michele Bennett, Nash Edgerton, Danny Gabai |
| 2019 (9th) | The King | Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Liz Watts, David Michôd, Joel Edgerton |
| 2019 (9th) | Ride Like a Girl | Richard Keddie, Rachel Griffiths, Susie Montague |
| 2019 (9th) | Top End Wedding | Rosemary Blight, Kylie du Fresne, Kate Croser |
| 2020s |||
| 2020 (10th) |
| 2020 (10th) | Babyteeth | Alex White |
| 2020 (10th) | H is for Happiness | Julie Ryan, Tenille Kennedy, Lisa Hoppe |
| 2020 (10th) | I Am Woman | Rosemary Blight, Unjoo Moon |
| 2020 (10th) | The Invisible Man | Kylie du Fresne, Jason Blum |
| 2020 (10th) | True History of the Kelly Gang | Hal Vogel, Liz Watts, Justin Kurzel, Paul Ranford |
| 2020 (10th) | Relic | Anna McLeish, Sarah Shaw |
| 2021 (11th) |
| 2021 (11th) | Nitram | Nick Batzias, Shaun Grant, Justin Kurzel, Virginia Whitwell |
| 2021 (11th) | The Dry | Eric Bana, Robert Connolly, Steve Hutensky, Jodi Matterson, Bruna Papandrea |
| 2021 (11th) | The Furnace | Tenille Kennedy, Timothy White |
| 2021 (11th) | High Ground | Stephen Maxwell Johnson, David Jowsey, Witiyana Marika, Maggie Miles, Greer Simpkin |
| 2021 (11th) | Penguin Bloom | Emma Cooper, Steve Hutensky, Jodi Matterson, Bruna Papandrea, Naomi Watts |
| 2021 (11th) | Rams | Janelle Landers, Aidan O'Bryan |
| 2022 (12th) |
| 2022 (12th) | Elvis | Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick, Schuyler Weiss |
| 2022 (12th) | Here Out West | Sheila Jayadev, Annabel Davis, Bree-Anne Sykes |
| 2022 (12th) | Sissy | Lisa Shaunessy, John De Margheriti, Jason Taylor, Bec Janek |
| 2022 (12th) | The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson | Bain Stewart, David Jowsey, Angela Littlejohn, Greer Simpkin, Leah Purcell |
| 2022 (12th) | The Stranger | Rachel Gardner, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Joel Edgerton, Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, Kim Hodgert |
| 2022 (12th) | Three Thousand Years of Longing | Doug Mitchell, George Miller |
| 2023 (13th) |
| 2023 (13th) | Talk to Me | Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton |
| 2023 (13th) | Of an Age | Kristina Ceyton, Samantha Jennings |
| 2023 (13th) | Shayda | Vincent Sheehan, Noora Niasari |
| 2023 (13th) | Sweet As | Liz Kearney |
| 2023 (13th) | The New Boy | Kath Shelper, Andrew Upton, Cate Blanchett, Lorenzo de Maio |
| 2023 (13th) | The Royal Hotel | Liz Watts, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Kath Shelper |
| 2024 (14th) |
| 2024 (14th) | Better Man | Paul Currie, Michael Gracey, Coco Xiaolu Ma, Craig McMahon |
| 2024 (14th) | Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga | Doug Mitchell, George Miller |
| 2024 (14th) | How to Make Gravy | Schuyler Weiss, Hamish Lewis, Nick Waterman, Meg Washington, Michael Brooks |
| 2024 (14th) | Late Night with the Devil | Mathew Govoni, Adam White |
| 2024 (14th) | Memoir of a Snail | Liz Kearney, Adam Elliot |
| 2024 (14th) | Runt | Jamie Hilton, Craig Silvey |