The Bettison & James Award recognises individuals whose inspiring lifelong work has benefited the Australian community.

Adelaide Film Festival is honoured to administer the Bettison and James Award on behalf of the Jim Bettison and Helen James Foundation. 

The Award provides $50,000 in recognition of an exemplary and inspiring lifelong contribution by an individual whose expertise may include the arts and humanities, social justice, the environment or any of the sciences.

Guidelines

• The nominee must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

• The Award is only available for individuals.

• Candidates for the Award may be invited by the Foundation, or nominated by a third party.

• All recipients of the Award should seek advice on the mitigation of tax related to the Award.

• The Recipient may be invited to present a paper or speak about their lifetime work and achievements.

• The decision of the Selection Committee remains final and no further correspondence will be entered into.

Bettison & James Awardee 2026 Karina Lester

Karina Lester is a Yankunytjatjara Anangu woman from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands) in the far northwest of South Australia.  Karina grew up in the remote community of Mimili in the beautiful Everard Ranges, where she was taught to speak her language with her father’s people.  Today she is very passionate to maintain her language for the future generations.

Karina is Aboriginal Co-Manager and Senior Aboriginal Language Expert for the Mobile Language Team (MLT) at Adelaide University, supporting the Aboriginal languages of South Australia in revival and living languages programs. 

Karina is also an active anti-nuclear activist, sharing not only her late father, Yami Lester’s story but her grandmother’s story of the first mainland nuclear bomb tests at Emu Field in 1953, where Yami and his people felt the “ground shake and the black mist roll”.

In 2018 Karina became an Ambassador for International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) alongside Robert Tickner (former Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs) and Scott Ludlam (former Greens spokesperson on nuclear issues).

Screening and Conversation

Karina Lester in conversation with Gem Romuld preceded by a screening of Britain’s Nuclear Bomb Scandal: Our Story (2024), 60 mins.

When: Sun 25 Oct, 12:00pm Screening 1:15pm Talk

Venue: The Mercury

Free admission, register below

About The Foundation

The Jim Bettison and Helen James Foundation was established to realise the vision of Dr Jim Bettison and Ms Helen James through the annual Bettison and James award.

Helen and Jim were far-sighted and creative thinkers, committed to supporting a wide range of activity in the community through philanthropy and professional engagement. Jim co-founded Codan, a successful and award-winning Adelaide company, established the Developed Image Photographic Gallery and served as Deputy Chancellor at the University of Adelaide. Helen was an exhibiting studio artist. She served on various key arts committees and was a founding member of the National Library of Australia’s Foundation Board.AFF aims to garner innovative partnerships and to create opportunities for Australian key thinkers and practitioners.

AFF administers the Bettison & James Award for the Bettison & James Foundation. Perpetual acts as trustee for the Foundation.