Australian Film Institute Award for Best Screenplay
Year Film Screenwriter ( s )
1974 - 75 ( 17th ) Petersen David Williamson
1976 ( 18th ) The Devil 's Playground Fred Schepisi
1976 ( 18th ) The Trespassers John Duigan
1976 ( 18th ) Picnic at Hanging Rock Cliff Green
1976 ( 18th ) Caddie Joan Long
1977 ( 19th ) Don 's Party David Williamson
1977 ( 19th ) Storm Boy Sonia Borg
1977 ( 19th ) The Fourth Wish Michael Craig
1977 ( 19th ) The Picture Show Man Joan Long
1980 ( 22nd ) Breaker Morant Jonathan Hardy , David Stevens and Bruce Beresford
1980 ( 22nd ) Hard Knocks Hilton Bonner and Don McLennan
1980 ( 22nd ) ... Maybe This Time Anne Brooksbank and Bob Ellis
1980 ( 22nd ) Stir Bob Jewson
1981 ( 23rd ) Gallipoli David Williamson
1981 ( 23rd ) Hoodwink Ken Quinnell
1981 ( 23rd ) The Club David Williamson
1981 ( 23rd ) Winter of Our Dreams John Duigan
1982 ( 24th ) Goodbye Paradise Bob Ellis and Denny Lawrence
1982 ( 24th ) Lonely Hearts Paul Cox and John Clarke
1982 ( 24th ) Moving Out Jan Sardi
Winners and nominees
In the following table , films and screenwriters listed in bold , and in a blue background have received the special award ; those listed in boldface and highlighted in gold are the winners of the competitive awards . Films and screenwriters that are not in boldface or highlighted are the nominees . [ 4 ] Winner of competitive award Winner of special award
The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Screenplay (Original or Adapted) was an award presented intermittently by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), for an Australian screenplay written directly for the screen or based on previously released or published material. It was handed out at the Australian Film Institute Awards (known commonly as the AFI Awards), which are now the AACTA Awards after the establishment of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), by the AFI. The award was handed out from 1975-1977, 1980-1982, 1990-1992, and again in 2007; two separate awards were created for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay and have been presented intermittently from 1978-1979, 1983-1989, 1993-2006, and then from 2008, onwards. The award was first presented at the 1974-75 awards as a film prize which included a cash reward of $A1000.