AFTRS students and alumni have swept the NSW Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) Awards, claiming 17 prizes in nine categories at the virtual ceremony on Friday 31 October. The 10 gold, four silver and three bronze prize-winning AFTRS graduates have been recognised among NSW’s top cinematographers and will progress to ACS’ national awards in 2021.
2019 Master of Arts Screen graduate Calum Riddell has been awarded the Bronze award in Short Films for his work on AFTRS capstone project The Familiars, written and directed by fellow alumna Millie Malcolm (Graduate Certificate Screen: Directing, 2018). Currently touring the globe on the festival circuit, The Familiars recently received the Youth Jury Award for Best Short Film at the San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival.
AFTRS alumni led the Feature Films – $2M and Over category, winning four out of the six awards. Gold prizes went to Dion Beebe (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1989) for I Am Woman and Jules O’Loughlin (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Cinematography, 2003) for Come Away, while Silver was claimed by Bonnie Elliot (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Cinematography, 2006) for H is for Happiness and Bronze was awarded to Andrew Commis (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1998) for critically acclaimed Babyteeth, the feature directorial debut of fellow alumna Shannon Murphy (Graduate Diploma in Directing, 2013). In Feature Films – Under $2M, Joel Froome’s (Graduate Diploma: Cinematography, 2009) work on Molto Bella won him Gold.
There was also a healthy presence of AFTRS talent in the drama category, with Gold prizes going to Zoë White (Master of Arts: Film and Television Cinematography, 2008) for Westworld (S3 E5: Genre), Andrew Commis for Brave New World (S1 E7) and Bonnie Elliot for Stateless (S1 E1). Rounding out the category was Warwick Thornton (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1995), claiming the Bronze for Mystery Road (S2 E6: What You Do Now).
Snagging Gold in Music Videos were both Daniel Bolt (Graduate Certificate in Cinematography Fundamentals, 2011) for Tranquilize by Telenova and Boris Vymenets (Master of Arts Screen, 2010) for Outta My Head by New World Sound featuring J2 & Sara Phillips. Vymenets was also recognised in Commercials – Local/Regional for his work on Griffith University’s ‘Dinesh’ and received ACS accreditation alongside alumnus John Brawley (Master of Arts Film & Television, 2007).
Joshua Marks (Graduate Diploma in Documentary, 2011) took home the Gold award in Documentaries for Jez, while Tania Lambert (Master of Arts: Film and Television Cinematography, 2008) earned Silver in Second Unit Cinematography for The Gloaming (S1 E7: The Mark of the Witch).
The achievements of current Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production students were celebrated in Student Cinematography, with Gold going to David Luff for Memoir, and Silver to Tom Pennel for The Child.
Learn more about the 2020 NSW ACS Awards and see the full list of winners here.
FULL LIST OF ALUMNI WINNERS AT THE 2020 NATIONAL ACS AWARDS
STUDENT CINEMATOGRAPHY
Gold: David Luff – Memoir (Current Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production student)
Silver: Tom Pennell – The Child (Current Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production student)
MUSIC VIDEOS
Gold: Boris Vymenets ACS (Master of Screen Arts, 2010) – Outta My Head by New World Sound ft. J2 & Sara Phillips
Gold: Daniel Bolt (Graduate Certificate in Cinematography Fundamentals, 2011) – Tranquilize by Telenova
COMMERCIALS – LOCAL/REGIONAL
Silver: Boris Vymenets ACS (Master of Screen Arts, 2010) – Griffith University – Dinesh
DOCUMENTARIES
Gold: Joshua Marks (Graduate Diploma in Documentary, 2011) – Jez: A Letter for Life
SECOND UNIT CINEMATOGRAPHY
Silver: Tania Lambert ACS (Master of Arts: Film and Television Cinematography, 2008) – The Gloaming (S1 E7): ‘The Mark of the Witch’
SHORT FILMS
Bronze: Calum Riddell (Master of Arts Screen, 2019) – The Familiars
DRAMA SERIES
Gold: Zoë White ACS (Master of Arts: Film and Television Cinematography, 2008) – Westworld (S3 E5): ‘Genre’
Gold: Andrew Commis ACS (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1998) – Brave New World (S1 E7)
Gold: Bonnie Elliot ACS (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Cinematography, 2006) – Stateless (S1 E1)
Bronze: Warwick Thornton (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1995) – Mystery Road (S2 E6) ‘What You Do Now’
FEATURE FILMS – BUDGET UNDER $2M
Gold: Joel Froome ACS (Graduate Diploma: Cinematography, 2009) – Molto Bella
FEATURE FILMS – BUDGET $2M AND OVER
Gold: Dion Beebe ACS ASC (Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1989) – I Am Woman
Gold: Jules O’Loughlin ACS ASC (Master of Arts (Film and Television) Cinematography, 2003) – Come Away
Silver: Bonnie Elliot ACS (Master of Arts: Film, Television and Digital Media Cinematography, 2006) – H is for Happiness
Bronze: Andrew Commis ACS (Master of Arts (Film & Television) Cinematography, 1998) – Babyteeth
ACCREDITATION
John Brawley (Master of Arts Film & Television, 2007)
Boris Vymenets (Master of Screen Arts, 2010)
