2008 Australian Film Institute Awards

Best Film

• The Black Balloon – Tristram Miall
  • The Jammed – Dee McLachlan, Andrea Buck
  • The Square – Louise Smith
  • Unfinished Sky – Cathy Overett, Anton Smit

Best Direction

• Elissa Down – The Black Balloon
  • Peter Duncan – Unfinished Sky
  • Nash Edgerton – The Square
  • Dee McLachlan – The Jammed

• Elissa Down, Jimmy Jack – The Black Balloon
  • Cathy Randall – Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger
  • Dee McLachlan – The Jammed
  • Joel Edgerton and Matthew Dabner – The Square

• Peter Duncan – Unfinished Sky, based on the film The Polish Bride (1998) by Karim Traïdia and Kees van der Hulst
  • Stephen Vagg – All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane, based on the play All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane by Stephen Vagg

• William McInnes as John Woldring – Unfinished Sky
  • Guy PearceasHarry Houdini – Death Defying Acts
  • David Roberts as Raymond Yale – The Square
  • Rhys Wakefield as Thomas Mollison – The Black Balloon

• Monic Hendrickx as Tahmeena – Unfinished Sky
  • Noni Hazlehurst as Penelope Lombard – Bitter & Twisted
  • Emma Lung as Crystal – The Jammed
  • Veronica Sywak as Ashley – The Jammed

• Luke Ford as Charlie Mollison – The Black Balloon
  • Joel Edgerton as Billy – The Square
  • Anthony Hayes as Greg "Smithy" Smith – The Square
  • Erik Thomson as Simon Mollison – The Black Balloon

• Toni Collette as Maggie Mollison – The Black Balloon
  • Saskia Burmeister as Vanya – The Jammed
  • Maeve Dermody as Lee – Black Water
  • Leeanna Walsman as Indigo Samvini – Bitter & Twisted

• Robert Humphreys – Unfinished Sky
  • Denson Baker – The Black Balloon
  • Geoffrey Simpson – The Tender Hook
  • Haris Zambarloukos – Death Defying Acts

• Veronika Jenet – The Black Balloon
  • Rodrigo Balart – Black Water
  • Anne Carter, Maryjeanne Watt – The Jammed
  • Suresh Ayyar – Unfinished Sky

• Antony Partos – Unfinished Sky
  • Michael Yezerski – The Black Balloon
  • François Tétaz, Ben Lee – The Square
  • Chris Abrahams – 'The Tender Hook

• Andrew Plain, Anne Breslin, William Ward – Unfinished Sky
  • Ben Osmo, Paul Pirola – The Black Balloon
  • Liam Egan, Tony Murtagh, Phil Judd, Des Kenneally – Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger
  • Liam Egan, Tony Murtagh, Phil Judd, Gary Wilkins – The Tender Hook

• Gemma Jackson – Death Defying Acts
  • Steven Jones-Evans – The Children of Huang Shi
  • Pete Baxter – The Tender Hook
  • Laurie Faen – Unfinished Sky

• Cappi Ireland – The Tender Hook
  • Shareen Beringer – Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger
  • Susannah Buxton – Death Defying Acts
  • Wenyan Gao & Kym Barrett – The Children of Huang Shi

Best Drama Series

• Underbelly – Greg Haddrick & Brenda Pam (Nine Network)
  • City Homicide (Series 2) – MaryAnne Carroll (Seven Network)
  • Rush – John Edwards & Mimi Butler (Network Ten)
  • Satisfaction – Andrew Walker & Roger Simpson (Showcase)

Best Miniseries or Telefeature

• East West 101 – Steve Knapman & Kris Wyld (SBS)
  • Bed of Roses – Stephen Luby & Mark Ruse (ABC)
  • Rain Shadow – Gus Howard (ABC)
  • Valentine's Day – Tony Wright (ABC)

Best Comedy Series

• Summer Heights High – Chris Lilley & Laura Waters (ABC)
  • Chandon Pictures – Rob Carlton (Movie Network)
  • The Hollowmen – Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner & Rob Sitch (ABC)
  • The Librarians – Wayne Hope & Robyn Butler (ABC)

Best Light Entertainment Television Series

• Enough Rope with Andrew Denton – Andrew Denton, Anita Jacoby (ABC)
  • RocKwiz (Season 5) – Ken Connor, Joe Connor, Peter Bain-Hogg, Brian Nankervis (SBS)
  • Spicks and Specks – Anthony Watt (ABC)
  • The Gruen Transfer – Andrew Denton, Anita Jacoby, Jo Wathen, Jon Casimir (ABC)

Children's Television Drama

• Blue Water High (Series 3) – Noel Price, Dennis Kiely (ABC)
  • Animalia – Ewan Burnett, Murray Pope (Network Ten)
  • Double Trouble – Rachel Clements, Terry Jennings (Nine Network)
  • H₂O: Just Add Water (Series 2) – Jonathan M. Shiff, Joanna Werner (Network Ten)

Best Direction in Television

• Peter Andrikidis – Underbelly: Episode 7 "Wise Monkeys" (Nine Network)
  • Peter Andrikidis – East West 101: Episode 2 "Death At The Station" (SBS)
  • Daina Reid – Satisfaction: Episode 5 "Truth" (Showtime)
  • Stuart McDonald – Summer Heights High: Episode 8 (ABC)

Best Lead Actor – Drama

• Gyton Grantley – Underbelly (Nine Network)
  • Don Hany – East West 101 (SBS)
  • William McInnes – East West 101 (SBS)
  • Callan Mulvey – Rush (Network Ten)

Best Lead Actress – Drama

• Kat Stewart – Underbelly (Nine Network)
  • Phoebe Tonkin – H₂O: Just Add Water (Network Ten)
  • Alison Whyte – Satisfaction (Showtime)
  • Diana Glenn – Satisfaction (Showtime)

Best Guest or Supporting Actor – Drama

• Damian Walshe-Howling – Underbelly (Nine Network)
  • Gary Files – Dogstar (Nine Network)
  • Taffy Hany– East West 101 (SBS)
  • Vince Colosimo – Underbelly (Nine Network)

Best Guest or Supporting Actress – Drama

• Madeleine West – Underbelly (Nine Network)
  • Hanna Mangan-Lawrence – Bed of Roses (ABC)
  • Amanda Muggleton – City Homicide (Seven Network)
  • Brittany Byrnes – H₂O: Just Add Water (Network Ten)

Best Performance in a Television Comedy

• Chris Lilley – Summer Heights High (ABC)
  • Rob Carlton – Chandon Pictures (Movie Network)
  • Rob Sitch – The Hollowmen (ABC)
  • Robyn Butler – The Librarians (ABC)

Best Screenplay in Television

• Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner and Rob Sitch – The Hollowmen: Episode 1 "Fat Chance" (ABC)
  • Philip Dalkin – Dogstar: Episode 26 "Tail's End" (Nine Network)
  • Kris Wyld – East West 101: Episode 2 "Death At The Station" (SBS)
  • Peter Gawler – Underbelly: Episode 2 "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (Nine Network)

• Not Quite Hollywood – Craig Griffin, Michael Lynch
  • Beyond Our Ken – Luke Walker
  • Rare Chicken Rescue – Vickie Gest, Randall Wood
  • The Oasis – Ian Darling

• The Oasis – Ian Darling, Sascha Ettinger-Epstein
  • Beyond Our Ken – Melissa Maclean, Luke Walker
  • Rachel: A Perfect Life – Fiona Cochrane
  • Rare Chicken Rescue – Randall Wood

• A Northern Town – Andrew Commis, Rachel Landers
  • Bomb Harvest – Kim Mordaunt
  • Night – Laurie McInnes
  • Rare Chicken Rescue – Randall Wood

• The Oasis – Sally Fryer
  • Not Quite Hollywood – Jamie Blanks, Sara Edwards, Mark Hartley
  • Rare Chicken Rescue – Scott Walton
  • The Siege – Stewart Young ASE

• Rare Chicken Rescue – Brett Aplin, Greg Docwra, John Willsteed, David White
  • Fairweather Man – Ben Crane, Michael Gissing, Guy Gross, Mike Jones
  • The Oasis – Felicity Fox, Michael Gissing
  • The Siege – Ian McLoughlin, Antony Partos, David White

• Jerrycan – Stuart Parkyn, Julius Avery
  • fOUR – Zyra McAuliffe, Erin White
  • My Rabit Hoppy – Anthony Lucas
  • The Ground Beneath – Kristina Ceyton, Rene Hernandez

• Dog with Electric Collar – Steve Baker, Damon Escott
  • Chainsaw – Fiona Cochrane, Dennis Tupicoff
  • Mutt – Beth Frey, Glen Hunwick
  • Paper City Architects – Daniel Agdag

• The Ground Beneath – Rene Hernandez
  • 296 Smith Street – John Evagora
  • Chainsaw – Dennis Tupicoff
  • fOUR – Erin White

• The Castle
  • Gallipoli
  • Lantana
  • Muriel's Wedding
  • The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of The Desert

• Hugh Jackman

• Danielle Catanzariti – Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger
  • Saoirse Ronan – Death Defying Acts
  • Clarence John Ryan – September
  • Tom Green – The Ground Beneath

• H₂O: Just Add Water (Series 2) – Barry Lanfranchi
  • Death Defying Acts – James Rogers
  • Double the Fist (Series 2) – Doug Bayne, Adam MacGowan, Michael Blake, Bill McGuire
  • Gabriel – Matthew Graham, Steve Anderson

• Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
  • Russell Crowe – American Gangster
  • Jack Thompson – Leatherheads
  • Eric Bana – The Other Boleyn Girl

• Cate Blanchett – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
  • Rachel Griffiths – Brothers & Sisters
  • Nicole Kidman – The Golden Compass
  • Judy Davis – The Starter Wife

• All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane
• Bitter and Twisted
• Black Water
• Cactus
• Children of the Silk Road

• Death Defying Acts
• Five Moments of Infidelity
• Gabriel
• Green Fire Envy
• Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger

• Men's Group
• Punishment
• Rats and Cats
• Salvation
• September

• Ten Empty
• The Black Balloon
• The Independent
• The Jammed
• The Plex

• The Square
• The Tender Hook
• The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark
• Three Blind Mice
• Unfinished Sky