# 1996 Australian Film Institute Awards

The 38th Australian Film Institute Awards were awards held by the Australian Film Institute to celebrate the best of Australian films and television of 1996. The awards ceremony was held at Melbourne Town Hall on Friday 15 November 1996 and broadcast on ABC-TV.

## Feature film

| Best Film Shine — Jane Scott Children of the Revolution — Tristram Miall Love & Other Catastrophes — Stavros Efthymiou Mr Reliable — Jim McElroy, Terry Hayes, Michael Hamlyn | Best Direction Scott Hicks — Shine Peter Duncan — Children of the Revolution Clara Law — Floating Life Paul Cox — Lust and Revenge |
| Best Lead Actor Geoffrey Rush — Shine John Brumpton — Life Aden Young — River Street Noah Taylor — Shine | Best Lead Actress Judy Davis — Children of the Revolution Gia Carides — Brilliant Lies Claudia Karvan — Dating the Enemy Frances O'Connor — Love & Other Catastrophes |
| Best Supporting Actor Armin Mueller-Stahl — Shine Ray Barrett — Brilliant Lies Barry Otto — Cosi Robert Morgan — Life | Best Supporting Actress Toni Colette — Lilian's Story Zoe Carides — Brilliant Lies Annette Shun-Wah — Floating Life Alice Garner — Love & Other Catastrophes |
| Best Original Screenplay Jan Sardi — Shine Peter Duncan — Children of the Revolution Eddie L. C. Fong, Clara Law — Floating Life Yael Bergman, Emma-Kate Croghan, Helen Bandis — Love & Other Catastrophes | Best Adapted Screenplay Louis Nowra — Cosi Nick Parsons — Dead Heart Lawrence Johnston, John Brumpton — Life John Scott — What I Have Written |
| Best Cinematography Geoffrey Simpson — Shine Martin McGrath — Children of the Revolution David Parker — Mr Reliable Dion Beebe — What I Have Written | Best Editing Pip Karmel — Shine Nicholas Beauman — Cosi Bill Murphy — Life Ken Sallows — Love & Other Catastrophes |
| Best Original Music Score David Hirschfelder — Shine Nigel Westlake — Children of the Revolution Stephen Rae — Dead Heart Cezary Skubiszewski — Lillian's Story | Best Sound Toivo Lember, Roger Savage, Livia Ruzic, Gareth Vanderhope — Shine Guntis Sics, Andrew Plain, Gethin Creagh — Children of the Revolution Ian McLoughlin, Tim Jordan, John Penders, Phil Tipene — Dead Heart Dean Gawen, Rex Watts, Paul Huntingford, Steven Vaughan — To Have and to Hold |
| Best Production Design Roger Ford — Children of the Revolution Steven Jones-Evans — Love Serenade Vicki Niehus — Shine Chris Kennedy — To Have and to Hold | Best Costume Design Terry Ryan — Children of the Revolution Anna Borghesi — Love Serenade Tess Schofield — Mr Reliable Louise Wakefield — Shine |

## Television

| Best Episode in a Television Drama Series Frontline - Season 2, Episode 7: 'Keeping Up Appearances' (ABC) — Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro, Jane Kennedy, Tom Gleisner G.P. - Series 8, Episode 8: 'Ceremony Of Innocence' (ABC) — Peter Andrikidis G.P. - Series 8, Episode 22: 'Sing Me A Lullaby' (ABC) — Peter Andrikidis Police Rescue - Series 5, Episode 8: 'Tomorrow Never Knows' (ABC) — John Edwards, Sandra Levy | Best Miniseries or Telefeature Blue Murder (ABC) — Rod Allan Halifax f.p - Series 2: 'Cradle And All' (Nine Network) — Roger Simpson, Roger Le Mesurier Naked - Episode 2: 'The Fisherman's Wake' (ABC) — Jan Chapman State Coroner (Network Ten) — David Taft, John Kearney |
| Best Episode in a Television Drama Serial | Best Children's Television Drama Spellbinder I - Episode 11: 'The Centre Of Power' (Nine Network) — Noel Price Mirror, Mirror (Network Ten) — Andrew Blaxland, Dave Gibson The Genie from Down Under - Series 1, Episode 1: ' (ABC) — Patricia Edgar, Phil Jones The Silver Brumby - Episode 11: 'Fire' (Network Ten) — Colin J. South, John Tatoulis |
| Best Television Documentary The Hillmen: A Soccer Fable (SBS) — Tony Wright Demons at Drivetime (SBS) — Kerry Brewster First Day — Patricia Edgar, Gordon Glenn The Young One (SBS) — Emma Calver, Margie Bryant | Best Achievement in Direction in a Television Drama Michael Jenkins — Blue Murder (ABC) Peter Andrikidis — G.P. - Series 8, Episode 22: 'Sing Me A Lullaby' (ABC) Paul Moloney — Halifax f.p. - Series 2: 'Cradle And All' (Nine Network) Tony Tilse — Police Rescue - Series 5, Episode 8: 'Tomorrow Never Knows' (ABC) |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Drama Richard Roxburgh — Blue Murder (ABC) Tony Martin — Blue Murder (ABC) Marton Csokas — G.P. - Series 8, Episode 8: 'Ceremony Of Innocence' (ABC) Steve Bastoni — Police Rescue - Series 5, Episode 8: 'Tomorrow Never Knows' (ABC) | Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Drama Claudia Karvan — G.P. - Series 8, Episode 22: 'Sing Me A Lullaby' (ABC) Sonia Todd — Police Rescue - Series 5, Episode 9: 'The Only Constant' (ABC) Catherine McClements — Water Rats - Series 1, Episode 10: 'Goldstein And Son' (Nine Network) |
| Best Screenplay in a TV Drama Ian David — Blue Murder (ABC) Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro, Jane Kennedy, Tom Gleisner — Frontline - Season 2, Episode 7: 'Keeping Up Appearances' (ABC) Katherine Thomson — G.P. - Series 8, Episode 8: 'Ceremony Of Innocence' (ABC) |