Mandy Walker AM ASC ACS becomes first woman to win AACTA Best Cinematography award

This year’s Australian Academy of Cinema Television Arts (AACTA) Industry Awards presented by Foxtel Group returned as an in-room event at The Hordern, in Sydney’s iconic Entertainment Quarter.

Hosted by Australian industry veteran Rove McManus, the event honoured Australia’s best screen craft practitioners. After a buzzworthy year of Australian projects, Elvis, Mystery Road: Origin, River and Bluey were among the first productions to earn Australian Academy kudos.

31 awards were presented during the day with presenters including AACTA Award nominees Thomas M. Wright, Leah Purcell, Kane Senes and Hannah Barlow, among other Australian screen greats such as Jack Thompson and Don McAlpine, who recognised screen craft excellence across film, television, documentary, short film and digital.

Mandy Walker AM ASC ACS became the first woman in history to take home the Best Cinematography award for feature film in Australia for her work on Elvis.

“Thank you family, friends, colleagues and AACTA,” said Walker. “I am honoured to be the first woman to have won this award and I hope it’s opened the door to many more in the future.

“A huge thank you to Baz Luhrmann, for taking me on this amazing creative journey that has led to me standing up here accepting this award. I also have to say thanks to Catherine Martin, one of many inspiring collaborators – many of whom are here tonight, and to my incredibly hard working Australian crew. And last but never least thank you to my loving and supportive family, mum and dad who are here, my husband Stuart and daughter Ruby.”

Mystery Road: Origin dominated the television awards, taking out four AACTA Awards including Best Cinematography in Television, Best Editing presented by Spectrum Films, Best Direction in Television and Best Sound in Television. The Bunya/ABC production is nominated for six more Awards which will be presented during the AACTA Awards Ceremony Wed., Dec. 7. Internationally successful children’s program Bluey won the AACTA Award for Best Children’s Programme for a fourth consecutive year.

The Bazmark team swept the film award categories, taking home seven AACTA awards for their musical biopic Elvis. 2022 AACTA Longford Lyell Award recipient Catherine Martin, added to her impressive award collection, winning the Award for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design for her work on the film.

Elvis is up for five additional Awards during the AACTA Awards on Wed., Dec. 7, including the coveted Best Film and Best Direction in Film presented by Filmology Finance.

Thomas M. Wright took home the AACTA Award for Best Screenplay for his film, The Stranger, which is also in contention for Best Film and Best Direction in Film. A Stitch In Time won the AACTA Award for Best Indie Film.

River, sequel to twice-nominated and three-time AACTA Award Winning Documentary Mountain (2017), took out the AACTA Award for Best Documentary. Facing Monsters won two AACTA Awards for Best Sound and Best Cinematography in a Documentary, with We Were Once Kids nabbing the award for Best Editing in a Documentary, to round out the category.

Comedian Ronny Chieng took home his first ever AACTA Award for Best Stand-Up Special for Speakeasy, while science commentator and radio personality Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki earned an AACTA Award for his short digital video Daddy Long Legs.

“We’re thrilled that after the two-year pandemic hiatus, the AACTA Industry Awards is back as a major live event,” said AACTA CEO, Damian Trewhella. “It’s excellent to again bring together Australia’s most talented screen practitioners and celebrate the hard work and skill prevalent in our industry. The AACTA Industry Awards give us a chance to honour and recognise the incredible productions and talented creatives who contribute to the Australian entertainment landscape. I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to all of today’s winners and nominees.”

“Technical and creative artists are the backbone to our film and television industry and the craft awards recognise the strength and capability of artists we have working in Australia,” said Brian Walsh, of the Foxtel Group. “Foxtel congratulates all winners on your remarkable work this year and contribution to our creative industry.”

The AACTA Industry Awards presented by Foxtel Group will be available to watch on AACTA TV.

The remainder of this year’s AACTA Award winners will be announced at the 2022 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel Group Ceremony on 7 December at The Hordern Pavillion. Wednesday’s Ceremony will be broadcast on Australia’s Channel 10 at 7:30pm and will be encored on Fox Docos on 10 December at 7:30 p.m. The broadcast will also be available to stream on demand via Australia’s Foxtel, Binge and at AACTA TV.

See the list of 2022 AACTA Industry Award Winners below

TELEVISION 

AACTA Award for Best Children’s Program: Bluey – Charlie Aspinwall, Sam Moor, Daley Pearson – Ludo Studio (ABC)

AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Television: Mystery Road: Origin (Episode 3) – Tyson Perkins

AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Television: Heartbreak High (Episode 1) – Rita Carmody

AACTA Award for Best Direction in Drama or Comedy: Mystery Road: Origin (Episode 3) – Dylan River

AACTA Award for Best Direction in Nonfiction Television: You Can’t Ask That (Episode 1) – Kirk Docker

AACTA Award for Best Documentary or Factual Program: Miriam Margolyes Australia Unmasked – Laurie Critchley, Bethan Arwel-Lewis – Southern Pictures (ABC)

AACTA Award for Best Editing in Television: Mystery Road: Origin (Episode 3) – Nicholas Holmes

AACTA Award for Best Lifestyle Program: Gardening Australia – Gill Lomas – Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Television: Savage River (Episode 1) – Bryony Marks

AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Television: The Tourist (Episode 1) – Scott Bird

AACTA Award for Best Sound in Television: Mystery Road: Origin (Episode 3) – Luke Mynott, Wes Chew, Trevor Hope, Dylan Barfield

AACTA Award for Best Stand-Up Special: Ronny Chieng: Speakeasy – Ronny Chieng – All Things Comedy and Netflix (Netflix)

FILM

AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in Film: Elvis – Mandy Walker

AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in Film: Elvis – Catherine Martin

AACTA Award for Best Editing in Film presented by Spectrum Films: Elvis – Matt Villa, Jonathan Redmond

AACTA Award for Best Indie Film: A Stitch In Time – Sasha Hadden (Dir.) – Hadden Motion Pictures

AACTA Award for Best Original Score in Film: Falling For Figaro – Cezary Skubiszewski

AACTA Award for Best Production Design in Film: Elvis – Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy, Beverley Dunn

AACTA Award for Best Screenplay in Film: The Stranger – Thomas M. Wright

AACTA Award for Best Sound in Film: Elvis – David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson, Michael Keller

SHORT FILM

AACTA Award for Best Short Film: Finding Jedda – Tanith Glynn-Maloney – Since1788 Productions, Unless Pictures, Orange Entertainment Co

DOCUMENTARY

AACTA Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary: Facing Monsters – Rick Rifici

AACTA Award for Best Documentary: River – Jennifer Peedom (Dir.), Joseph Nizeti, Jo-anne McGowan, John Smithson – Stranger Than Fiction Films

AACTA Award for Best Editing in a Documentary: We Were Once Kids – Shannon Swan

AACTA Award for Best Original Score in a Documentary: River – Richard Tognetti, William Barton, Piers Burbrook de Vere

AACTA Award for Best Sound in a Documentary: Facing Monsters – Jeremy Ashton, Ric Curtin, Xoe Baird

DIGITAL 

AACTA Award for Best Digital Series or Channel: A Beginner’s Guide to Grief – Anna Lindner, Renee Mao, Linda Ujuk, Kate Butler, Julie Byrne

AACTA Award for Best Digital Short Video: Daddy Long Legs – Dr. Karl

OTHER

AACTA Award for Best Casting Presented by Casting Networks: The Twelve – Kirsty McGregor

AACTA Award for Best Hair and Makeup presented by HASK: Elvis – Shane Thomas, Louise Coulston, Mark Coulier, Jason Baird

AACTA Award for Best Visual Effects or Animation: Elvis – Tom Wood, Fiona Crawford, Julian Hutchens, Joshua Simmonds, Adam Hammond – Warner Bros. Pictures

FULL LIST OF WINNERS AND NOMINEES 

For a full list of AACTA Industry Award winners and nominees click here.