# 1990 Australian Film Institute Awards

The 32nd Australian Film Institute Awards were awards held by the Australian Film Institute to celebrate the best of Australian films and television of 1990. Twenty films competed in the feature film categories.

## Feature film

| Best Film Flirting – Terry Hayes, Doug Mitchell, George Miller Blood Oath – Charles Waterstreet, Denis Whitburn, Brian Williams Struck by Lightning – Terry J. Charatsis, Trevor Farrant The Big Steal – Nadia Tass, David Parker | Best Direction Ray Argall – Return Home Stephen Wallace – Blood Oath Paul Cox – Golden Braid Jerzy Domaradzki – Struck by Lightning |
| Best Lead Actor Max von Sydow – Father Frankie J. Holden – Return Home Ben Mendelsohn – The Big Steal Russell Crowe – The Crossing | Best Lead Actress Catherine McClements – Weekend With Kate Kerry Armstrong – Hunting Claudia Karvan – The Big Steal Rosanna Arquette – Wendy Cracked a Walnut |
| Best Supporting Actor Steve Bisley – The Big Steal John Polson – Blood Oath Toshi Shioya – Blood Oath Bartholomew Rose – Flirting | Best Supporting Actress Julia Blake – Father Penne Hackforth-Jones – Kokoda Crescent Ruth Cracknell – Kokoda Crescent Maggie King – The Big Steal |
| Best Screenplay David Parker – The Big Steal Denis Whitburn, Brian Williams – Blood Oath Paul Cox, Barry Dickins – Golden Braid Trevor Farrant – Struck by Lightning | |
| Best Cinematography Jeff Darling – The Crossing Russell Boyd – Blood Oath Geoff Burton – Flirting Nino Gaetano Martinetti – Golden Braid | Best Editing Robert Gibson – Flirting Russell Hurley – Golden Braid Henry Dangar – The Crossing Robert Gibson – Two Brothers Running |
| Best Original Music Score Phil Judd – The Big Steal Art Phillips – Sher Mountain Killings Mystery Paul Smyth – Struck by Lightning Bruce Smeaton – Wendy Cracked a Walnut | Best Sound Ben Osmo, Gethin Creagh, Roger Savage – Blood Oath Antony Gray, Ross Linton, Phil Judd – Flirting Livia Ruzic, James Currie, David Rawlinson – Golden Braid John Wilkinson, Dean Gawen, Roger Savage – The Big Steal |
| Best Production Design Roger Ford – Flirting Bernard Hides – Blood Oath Paddy Reardon – The Big Steal Lawrence Eastwood – Weekend With Kate | Best Costume Design Roger Kirk – Blood Oath Aphrodite Kondos – Hunting Michelle Leonard – Two Brothers Running Michelle Leonard – Weekend With Kate |

## Television

| Best Mini-Series or Telefeature Come in Spinner (ABC) – Jan Chapman The Girl from Tomorrow (Nine Network) – Ron Saunders, Noel Price Police Crop (ABC) – Rod Allan The Magistrate (ABC) – Kim Dalton, Chris Warner | Best Television Documentary In Search of Dr Mabuse (ABC) – Varcha Sidwell Astonish Me: Graeme Murphy (ABC) – Don Featherstone Difficult Pleasure: Brett Whiteley (ABC) – Don Featherstone Victims (Network Ten) – Iain Gillespie, Terry Carlyon |
| Best Lead Actor in a Mini-Series or Telefeature Frankie J. Holden – Police Crop (ABC) Rhys McConnochie – Come in Spinner (ABC) Terry Gill – Police Crop (ABC) Franco Nero – The Magistrate (ABC) | Best Lead Actress in a Mini-Series or Telefeature Rebecca Gibney – Come in Spinner (ABC) Caroline Goodall – Cassidy (ABC) Lisa Harrow – Come In Spinner (ABC) Tracy Mann – How Wonderful (ABC) |
| Best Achievement in Direction in a Mini-Series or Telefeature Robert Marchand – Come in Spinner (ABC) Kathy Mueller – The Girl from Tomorrow (Nine Network) Ken Cameron – Police Crop (ABC) Kathy Mueller – The Magistrate (ABC) | Best Screenplay in a Mini-Series or Television Drama Chris Warner – The Magistrate (ABC) Nick Enright, Lissa Benyon – Come in Spinner (ABC) John Thomson, Mark Shirrefs – The Girl from Tomorrow (Nine Network) Ian David – Police Crop (ABC) |