Tina Kaufman, an expert at these things, was well pleased by the Australian Directors’ Guild Annual Awards and general knees up. After all, when an organisation turns thirty, it has all the social skills it needs for aplomb with the best.
There’s something nicely confused about the ADG Awards. They’re well attended and quite glitzy, with everyone (or almost everyone) dressed up and ready to enjoy themselves; at the pre-event drinks in the glamorous foyer of the Hoyts Cinemas at the Entertainment Quarter, there was lots of crowding, chatter, gossip and anticipation. But once inside the cinema there were some problems with mikes and lights, and some people let slip odd comments, and some presenters and recipients bumbled and mumbled a bit. The event’s host, Adam Zwar, warned recipients to keep it short; “if you had a nurturing childhood, you wouldn’t be in this business,” he advised. Somehow, however, it all added up to a very enjoyable presentation, warm and personal and fun.