Comedy Writing Shines At The 2010 AWGIES

24 August, 2010

Scriptwriters and playwrights from around Australia came out from behind the scenes on Friday 20 August at the 43rd Annual Australian Writers’ Guild AWGIE Awards. The awards celebrated excellence in performance writing across film, television, theatre and radio and were held at The Peninsula in Melbourne. These awards recognise the integral role the story plays in any production whether it is film, television, radio, interactive media or theatre.

Comedy led the charge this year with Gina Riley and Jane Turner taking out the prestigious 2010 Fred Parsons Award for Special Contribution to Australian Comedy. Other comedy awards included the Comedy – Situation or Narrative Award, which went to hit ABC series - Lowdown: Who’s Your Buddy, by the talented Amanda Brotchie and Adam Zwar, who also starred. The team from Good News Week won the gong for Comedy – Sketch or Light Entertainment for The Opening Ceremony 2009.

The Major AWGIE and the AWGIE for best Feature Film Screenplay (Original) went to David Michôd for his stunning debut film Animal Kingdom. This award joins the accolades he has received since the film won the Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Jury Prize: Drama - a first for any Australian film. Receiving rave reviews both here and overseas, the film has been called ‘the best crime film ever made in Australia’. Â

Multi-award winning writers David Williamson AO and Robert Connelly were awarded the Feature Film Screenplay (Adaption) for their searing recreation of the events in Timor in 1975 in Balibo. Â

In the television categories, the high-rating Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities took out the Television Mini Series (Adaption). And for Telemovie (Original) the award went to Glen Dolman for the recently run biopic Hawke. Previous AWGIE recipient Tom Holloway picked up the Stage gong this year for his play dealing with euthanasia, And No More Shall We Part.

The Emmy winning team from the cross platform producer Hoodlum, Anthony Mullins and Timothy Wilde walked away with the 2010 John Hinde Award for Science Fiction for their groundbreaking Primeval Evolved, a thrilling 10 week online experience that extended the storyline for ITV’s hit TV series Primeval in the UK.

“Tonight we have recognised some of the world’s most talented performance writers” said Australian Writers’ Guild President Tim Pye “Once again the AWGIE Awards have shown that every great Australian production starts with a exceptional script.” Â

 A full list of the 2010 AWGIE Award winners is below.


2010 Monte Miller Award – Long Form
Death By Shark
Heidi Regan

2010 Monte Miller Award – Short Form
From Halfway There, With Love
Mandy McCarthy

2010 Richard Lane Award
For Long Standing Service and Dedication to the Australian Writers’ Guild
Peter Walford

2010 Dorothy Crawford Award
For Outstanding Contribution to the Profession
Karin Altmann

2010 Fred Parsons Award
For Special Contribution to Australian Comedy
Gina Riley and Jane Turner
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2010 John Hinde Award for Science Fiction
Primeval Evolved
 Anthony Mullins and Timothy Wilde

2010 Kit Denton Fellowship
I Want to be Slim
George Catsi

2010 FOXTEL Fellowship
Sue Smith

Major Award
Animal Kingdom
David Michôd

Feature Film Screenplay (Original)
Animal Kingdom
David Michôd

Feature Film Screenplay (Adaptation)
Balibo
David Williamson AO and Robert Connelly

Telemovie (Original)
Hawke
Glen Dolman

Television Mini Series (Adaptation)
Underbelly: A Tale Of Two Cities
Peter Gawler, Greg Haddrick, Kris Mrksa , Felicity Packard
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Television – Series
Spirited: The Man Who Fell To Earth
Jacquelin Perske
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Television - Serial
Home and Away – Episode 5068
Sam Meikle

Comedy - Sketch or Light Entertainment
Good News Week - The Opening Ceremony 2009
Dave Bloustien, Simon Dodd, Bruce Griffiths, Warwick Holt, Paul Livingston and Ian Simmons
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Comedy - Situation or Narrative
Lowdown: Who’s Your Baddy?
Amanda Brotchie and Adam Zwar
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Stage
And No More Shall We Part
Thomas Holloway

Interactive Media
Primeval Evolved
Anthony Mullins and Timothy Wilde

Music Theatre
Rembrandt’s Wife
Sue Smith
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Radio – Original Broadcast
The Violin Player
Catherine Fargher
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Radio - Adaptation
Mrs Macquarie’s Cello
Donna Abela
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Documentary - Public Broadcast
Indonesia Calling: Joris Ivens In Australia
John Hughes
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Documentary - Corporate or Training
At The Creek
Charles Hamlyn-Harris

Short Film
A Parachute Falling In Siberia
Ian Meadows and Sarah Shaw
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Children’s Television - P
Bananas In Pyjamas: The Little Fish
Kevin Nemeth
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Children’s Television - C
Lockie Leonard: Crimes of the Heartless
Shelley Birse

Community and Youth Theatre
Night Breakfast
Merrilee Moss