Hacksaw Ridge won Best Film and Gibson won Best Direction, while the film’s lead and supporting actors, Andrew Garfield and Hugo Weaving, were also honoured for their work.

“I need to thank Australia for making this film, all the way up and down it’s a homegrown film,” Gibson told the audience about the movie which was made in NSW.

Head into cinemas now to watch Mel Gibson's HACKSAW RIDGE, which is nominated for 13 AACTA Awards, including Best Film & Best Direction. pic.twitter.com/y8AtInzN9f

— Icon Film Distribution ANZ (@IconFilmANZ) November 4, 2016

It was Gibson’s first AACTA award and he thanked Australia for its formative influence on his career.

“I saw faces here that I saw when I was a kid,” he said, choking back tears.

Screenwriter Andrew Knight won the film’s fifth award of the night for Best Original Screenplay bringing the film’s total AACTA tally to nine – at the AACTA industry luncheon on Monday, the film was also awarded Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound and Best Production Design.

The film, which tells tale of an American decorated for bravery in World War II despite being a conscientious objector, is set in the US and Japan but filmed entirely in Australia.

The film’s lead actress Teresa Palmer missed out on the gong which went to 18-year-old star of The Daughter, Odessa Young who admitted it was her first awards ceremony.

Australia’s exported comedic talent was honoured with Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan winning the Longford Lyell Award for his outstanding contribution to the screen, while Isla Fisher won the Trailblazer Award.

The Wedding Crashers actress stayed true to form with a hilarious speech that mostly poked fun at herself.

“I’ve got to thank Donald Trump because I don’t think I’d be here if he wasn’t showing the world that it’s OK for unqualified orange people to be here,” she told the audience.

Fisher also drew plenty of attention on the red carpet alongside husband, Ali G actor Sacha Baron Cohen.

“He loves it (in Australia). You know we came here for Great Gatsby and we actually met here in Sydney 15 years ago so it’s our anniversary,” Fisher said,

Being back in Sydney reminded Fisher of her beginnings on the small screen in soapie Home & Away.

“It’s such an honour. I feel like not that long ago I was holding a hamburger phone to my ear in the Summer Bay diner and now I’m here on the red carpet beside such accomplished actors as Geoffrey Rush and Paul Hogan so it’s phenomenal,” she said.

Jessica Mauboy opened the awards ceremony with a doo-wop version of Soft Cell’s Tainted Love and British pop legends Culture Club performed a medley of hits.

But Dami Im’s piano duet with a scene from the 20-year-old movie Shine stole the show.

The Eurovision star didn’t sing and instead played Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee behind a sheet of rain, in a duet with scenes of actor Geoffrey Rush playing the same piece in the film.

All the stars on the red carpet

Photos courtesy of Getty Images.