Left Write Hook claimed the top prize at the 5th Annual AIDC Awards last night, wrapping up a massive four days of documentary industry connections.
TV Week Gold Logie nominee Melissa Leong hosted the ceremony at ACMI, Melbourne, marking the conclusion of the Australian International Documentary Conference proper, with two days of marketplace meetings still to come.
Over 780 delegates attended the conference, with 120 local and international speakers, 100 decision makers, and 675 curated meetings taking place during the event.
AIDC 2025
- AIDC Conference: 2-5 March, ACMI, Melbourne/Naarm
- AIDC International Marketplace: 6-7 March, Online
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Left Write Hook, directed by Shannon Owen and produced by Gal Greenspan, Alice Burgin, and Rachel Forbes, took home the $5,000 Best Feature Documentary prize. The jury described it as “a singular viewing experience” that “stirred within the jury a universally surprising and passionate response.”
“Director Shannon Owen, working with the inimitable Donna Lyon and her group of incredible participants, has made a powerful document of strength and resilience that will touch many beyond the original program’s pages and boxing ring,” the jury statement continued. “A fearless film that offers a ladder up from the darkness that shame can bring, it’s a one-two punch of creativity and power.”
ABC’s Tough Not Toxic won Best Documentary/Factual Single, with the jury praising it as “a brave film that creatively tells a redemptive story of abuse, trauma and healing.”
The ever-popular Stuff the British Stole claimed Best Documentary/Factual Series for its second season, with Marc Fennell’s “energetic and authentic hosting” highlighted by the jury.
Other winners included Mahika Kai for Best Short-Form Documentary, This is Not a Game for Best Audio Documentary, and Las Awichas for Best Interactive Immersive Documentary.
The awards night also saw a generous anonymous donor double the Indigenous Creators Pitch prize pool to $10,000, shared between three projects: Crystal Love ($5,000), Hunting Tidda Style ($2,500), and Abolished ($2,500).
Post-production house The Post Lounge increased their prize pool as well, adding an extra $5,000 for research and development on top of their $30,000 post-production investment across three projects.
Meanwhile, the Shark Island Foundation awarded a whopping $80,000 in development grants to four documentary projects through their Feature Docs Pitch program.
The already-announced $5,000 AIDC Southern Light Award for outstanding contribution to nonfiction media was presented to Celia Tait, co-founder and managing director of Fremantle’s Artemis Media.
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