Tony Ayres gained international recognition shortly after graduating from film school with a string of acclaimed television drama scripts, winning numerous awards for his work. He also demonstrated his versatility as a writer/director of documentaries, earning major international accolades for his contributions.
His feature film debut, Walking on Water, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2002, garnering a plethora of awards, including the prestigious Teddy Award for Best Gay/Lesbian Film at Berlin and five AFI Awards, which are equivalent to the Independent Spirit Awards in Australia.
Ayres' subsequent feature as writer/director, The Home Song Stories, starring Joan Chen, has garnered him a multitude of prestigious awards, including the AFI Award for Best Direction and Best Screenplay (Original or Adapted),the FCCA Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay, the Golden Horse Film Festival Award for Best Original Screenplay, Best Feature Film at the Hawaii International Film Festival, and the IF Award for Best Director.
Currently, Ayres is working as a producer on the ABC TV series Bogan Pride.