2008 Australian Film Institute Awards
| 50th Australian Film Institute Awards | |
|---|---|
| Date | 5–6 December 2008 |
| Highlights | |
| Best Film | The Black Balloon |
| Best Direction |
Elissa Down The Black Balloon |
| Best Actor |
William McInnes Unfinished Sky |
| Best Actress |
Monic Hendrickx Unfinished Sky |
| Supporting Actor |
Luke Ford The Black Balloon |
| Supporting Actress |
Toni Collette The Black Balloon |
The 50th Annual Australian Film Institute Awards for film and television acting achievement in the cinema of Australia in 2008 were presented in a ceremony on 5–6 December 2008. During the ceremony, the Australian Film Institute presented Australian Film Institute Awards (commonly referred to as AFI Awards) in 40 categories including feature films, television, animation and documentaries. It was hosted by Stephen Curry of TV1's The King.
The nominees for Best Documentary, Best Short Fiction Film and Best Short Animation were announced on 7 August whilst all the other nominees were announced at the Nominations Announcement in Sydney on 29 October. The Black Balloon had the most nominations with a total of 11 including Best Film.
Winners of major awards
This is a breakdown of winners of major awards categories only. For a complete list of nominees and winners, see 50th Australian Film Institute Awards nominees and winners.
Film
Feature films
| Award | Winner | Producer |
|---|---|---|
| Best Film | The Black Balloon | Tristram Miall |
Directing
| Award | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best Direction | Elissa Down | The Black Balloon |
Acting
Writing
| Award | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best Original Screenplay | Elissa Down and Jimmy the Exploder | The Black Balloon |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Duncan | Unfinished Sky |
Additional Awards
| Award | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best International Actor | Heath Ledger | The Dark Knight |
| Best International Actress | Cate Blanchett | Elizabeth: The Golden Age |
| Young Actor Award | Danielle Catanzariti | Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger |
| Byron Kennedy Award | Chris Lilley | Summer Heights High |
| Reader's Choice Award | Hugh Jackman | Australia |
| Australia's Favourite Film Award | The Castle | Working Dog Productions |
Television
Series
| Award | Winner | Producer |
|---|---|---|
| Best Comedy Series | Summer Heights High | Chris Lilley |
| Best Drama Series | Underbelly | Greg Haddrick |
| Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series | East West 101 | Steve Knapman |
Directing
| Award | Winner | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Best Direction in Television | Peter Andrikidis | Underbelly |
Acting
| Award | Winner | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Gyton Grantley | Underbelly |
| Best Actress in a Television Drama | Kat Stewart | Underbelly |
| Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama | Damian Walshe-Howling | Underbelly |
| Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama | Madeleine West | Underbelly |
Writing
| Award | Winner | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Best Screenplay on Television | Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner and Rob Sitch | The Hollowmen |
Multiple nominations
Films
The following films received multiple nominations.
- 11 nominations:
- 10 nominations:
- 7 nominations:
Television
The following television series received multiple nominations.
- 8 nominations:
- 6 nominations:
- 3 nominations:
- 2 nominations: