Australian/UK co-production The Proposition, an often brutal 1880stale of conflict between brothers, was awarded best feature film at the IF(Inside Film) Awards in Sydneytonight (Nov 23).

Look Both Ways won the best director and best writer categories for Sarah Watt. Theintimate drama picked up three awards in all while The Proposition won four, as did Little Fish, which took best actress and actor for Cate Blanchettand Hugo Weaving.

Little Fishalso picked up the box office achievement award, although horror film Wolf Creek has overtaken it since votingclosed to become the commercial hit of the year with $3m (A$4m) and rising.

The IF Awards are nicknamedthe people's choice awards because they are voted on by the public. The spreadof contenders is seen as a welcome return to form for Australia after a couple of weak years. They were announced atLuna Parkin Sydney in front of about 1,000 people.

In other significant awards,acting veteran Jack Thompson won the living legend award and Kath Shelper (namedin Screen International's recentstars of tomorrow issue) won the rising talent award. Shelper has produced someoutstanding short films by Aboriginal filmmakers and has a number of featuresin development.

Ben C Lucas and AnthonyVercoe won the best unproduced screenplay award for their feature script All Flesh Must Be Eaten: The Movie. Sydney was awarded festival of the year due to artisticdirector Lynden Barber's inaugural program.

This was the seventh editionof the IF Awards. The AFI (Australian Film Institute) Awards are announced thisFriday and Saturday in Melbourne.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS:

Best Feature Film:
The Proposition - Prods: Chris Brown,Jackie O'Sullivan, Chiara Menage, Cat Villiers. Dir: John Hillcoat

Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett - Little Fish

Best Actor:
Hugo Weaving - Little Fish

Best Direction:
Sarah Watt - Look Both Ways

Best Cinematography:
Benoit Delhomme - The Proposition

Best Script:
Sarah Watt - Look Both Ways

Best Music:
Nick Caveand Warren Ellis - The Proposition

Best Editing:
Denise Haratzis - Look Both Ways

Best Sound:
Sam Petty, Peter Grace, Robert Sullivan, Yulia Akerholt - Little Fish

Best Production Design:
Chris Kennedy - The Proposition

Box Office Achievement:
Little Fish - Prods: Vincent Sheehan,Liz Watts, Richard Keddie

Best Short Film:
Green Bush - Prod: Kath Shelper. Dir:Warwick Thornton

Best Animation:
The Mysterious Graphic Explorations OfJasper Morello - Prods: Julia Lucas, Susie Campbell, Mark Shirrefs, AnthonyLucas. Dir: Anthony Lucas

Best Documentary:
Jabe Babe: A Heightened Life - Prods:Deborah Szapiro, Georgia Wallace-Crabbe, Janet Merewether. Dir: JanetMerewether

Best Short Documentary:
Sentences - Prod: Marco Ianniello.Dir: Sascha Ettinger-Epstein

Rising Talent:
Kath Shelper

Living Legend IF Award:
Jack Thompson

Independent Spirit Award:
Wayne Coles-Janess - In The Shadow Of ThePalms

Award for Best UnproducedScreenplay:
All Flesh Must Be Eaten: The Movie -Ben C. Lucas, Anthony Vercoe

IF Award for Festival of theYear:
Sydney Film Festival