# 1991 Australian Film Institute Awards

The 33rd Australian Film Institute Awards (generally known as the AFI Awards) were held in October 1991. Presented by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), the awards celebrated the best in Australian feature film, documentary, short film and television productions of 1991. Proof received the award for Best Feature Film and five other awards. Director Fred Schepisi received the Raymond Longford Award for lifetime achievement. The awards were not televised.

## Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.

### Feature film

| Best Feature Film | Best Achievement in Direction |
| Proof – Lynda House Death in Brunswick – Timothy White Dingo – Giorgio Draskovic, Rolf de Heer, Marc Rosenberg, Marie-Pascale Osterrieth Spotswood – Timothy White, Richard Brennan | Jocelyn Moorhouse – Proof John Ruane – Death in Brunswick Rolf de Heer – Dingo Jackie McKimmie – Waiting |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role |
| Hugo Weaving – Proof Sam Neill – Death in Brunswick Colin Friels – Dingo Ben Mendelsohn – Spotswood | Sheila Florance – A Woman's Tale Angie Milliken – Act of Necessity Eri Ishida – Aya Genevieve Picot – Proof |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role | Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role |
| Russell Crowe – Proof Chris Haywood – Aya John Moore – Deadly Alwyn Kurts – Spotswood | Fiona Press – Waiting Gosia Dobrowolska – A Woman's Tale Toni Collette – Spotswood Helen Jones – Waiting |
| Best Screenplay | Best Achievement in Cinematography |
| Jocelyn Moorhouse – Proof Paul Cox, Barry Dickins – A Woman's Tale John Ruane, Boyd Oxlade – Death in Brunswick Max Dann, Andrew Knight – Spotswood | Ellery Ryan – Spotswood Geoff Burton – Aya Ellery Ryan – Death in Brunswick Denis Lenoir – Dingo |
| Best Achievement in Editing | Best Achievement in Sound |
| Ken Sallows – Proof Suresh Ayyar – Dingo Nicholas Beauman – Spotswood Michael Honey – Waiting | Henri Morelle, Ashley Grenville, James Currie – Dingo Bernard Aubouy, Dean Gawen, Roger Savage – Isabelle Eberhardt Lloyd Carrick, Glenn Newnham, Roger Savage – Proof Gary Wilkins, Tim Jordan, Phil Judd – Till There Was You |
| Best Music Score | Best Achievement in Production Design |
| Michel Legrand, Miles Davis – Dingo Paul Grabowsky – A Woman's Tale Roger Mason – Aya Michael Atkinson – Stan and George's New Life | Chris Kennedy – Spotswood Jennie Tate – Aya Peta Lawson – Deadly Bryce Perrin, Geoffroy Larcher – Isabelle Eberhardt |
| Best Achievement in Costume Design |
| Tess Schofield – Spotswood Jennie Tate – Aya Mic Cheminal – Isabelle Eberhardt Murray Picknett – Waiting |

### Non-feature film

| Best Documentary | Best Short Film |
| Canto A La Vida – Lucia Salinas Briones (director) Chainsaw – Shirley Barrett (director) Cowboy, Maria In Town – Les McLaren, Annie Stiven (director) Eclipse Of The Man-Made Sun – Nicolette Freeman, Amanda Stewart (director) | The Tennis Ball – John Dobson (director) A Horse With Stripes – Andrew O'Sullivan (director) Puppenhead – David Cox (director) The Man In The Blue And White Holden – Peter Luby (director) |
| Best Animation Film | Best Screenplay in a Short Film |
| Union Street – Wendy Chandler (director) Feral Television – David Ledwich (director) Reaper Madness – Nick Donkin (director) Two Fish – Rohan Smith (director) | Plead Guilty, Get A Bond – Ben Lewin A Horse With Stripes – Andrew O'Sullivan Sure Thing – Jacquelin Perske The Man In The Blue And White Holden – Peter Luby |
| Best Achievement in Cinematography in a Non-Feature Film | Best Achievement in Editing in a Non-Feature Film |
| And A Fire Engine To Go With The Dog – Brendan Lavelle As The Mirror Burns – Mandy Walker Donald Friend: The Prodigal Australian – Tony Wilson, Terry Carlyon On The Border Of Hopetown – Nino Gaetano Martinetti | Donald Friend: The Prodigal Australian – Tim Lewis Eclipse Of The Man-Made Sun – Diana Priest Puppenhead – Graeme Jackson The Tennis Ball – Melanie Sandford |
| Best Achievement in Sound in a Non-Feature Film |
| Chainsaw – Victor Gentile As Happy As Larry – Tony Vaccher, John Dennison As The Mirror Burns – Gretchen Thornburn, Paul Huntingford, Dean Gawen Puppenhead – David Cox, Graeme Jackson |

### Television

| Best Episode in a Television Drama Series or Serial | Best Television Mini-Series or Telefeature |
| Embassy, Series 2 – Episode 1, 'A Human Dimension' (ABC) – Alan Hardy Police Rescue, Season 1 – Episode 2, 'Angel After Hours' (ABC) – Sandra Levy, John Edwards Police Rescue, Season 1 – Episode 13, 'By The Book' (ABC) – Sandra Levy, John Edwards The Boys From The Bush, Season 1 – Episode 8 (Seven Network) – Jane Scott, Verity Lambert | The Paper Man (ABC) – Sue Masters, Greg Ricketson Ratbag Hero (Seven Network) – Zelda Rosenbaum, Oscar Whitbread Ring of Scorpio (Nine Network) – Errol Sullivan Shadows of the Heart (Network Ten) – Jan Marnell |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Television Drama |
| Gary Sweet – Police Rescue, Season 1 – Episode 1, 'Mates' (ABC) Steve Bastoni – Police Rescue, Season 1 – Episode 2, 'Angel After Hours' (ABC) Nico Lathouris – Police Rescue, Season 1 – Episode 2, 'Angel After Hours' (ABC) Cameron Nugent – More Winners – 'The Big Wish' (ABC) | Sonia Todd – Police Rescue, Season 1 – Episode 13, 'By The Book' (ABC) Janet Andrewartha – Embassy, Season 2 – Episode 1, 'A Human Dimension' (ABC) Pat Bishop – The Paper Man (ABC) Josephine Byrnes – Shadows of the Heart (Network Ten) |
| Best Achievement in Direction in a Television Drama | Best Screenplay in a Television Drama |
| Mark Callan – Embassy, Series 2 – Episode 1, 'A Human Dimension' (ABC) Esben Storm – More Winners – 'The Big Wish' (ABC) Michael Jenkins – Police Rescue, Season 1 – Episode 2, 'Angel After Hours' (ABC) Peter Fisk – Police Rescue, Season 1 – Episode 13, 'By The Book' (ABC) | Peter Schreck – Police Rescue, Season 1 – Episode 2, 'Angel After Hours' (ABC) Anne Lucas – Embassy, Season 2 – Episode 1, 'A Human Dimension' (ABC) Steve J. Spears – More Winners – 'The Big Wish' (ABC) Keith Aberdein, John Lonie – The Paper Man (ABC) |
| Best Children's Television Drama | Best Television Documentary |
| Round the Twist, Season 1 – Episode 8, 'Wunderpants' (Seven Network) – Antonia Barnard More Winners – 'Mr Edmund' (ABC) – Anthony Buckley More Winners – 'The Big Wish' (ABC) – Antonia Barnard Round The Twist, Season 1 – Episode 4, 'Cabbage Patch Fib' (Seven Network) – Antonia Barnard | Guns And Roses (ABC) – John Moore, Helen Bowman The Shadow Over East Timor (SBS) – James Kesteven, Mandy King When Friends Were Enemies (SBS) – Judy Menczel You Must Remember This (ABC) – Susan Mackinnon, Helen Bowden |

### Additional awards

| AFI Members Prize | Cerficate of Merit for Best Juvenile Performance |
| Proof – Lynda House | Lauren Hewett – Act of Necessity (ABC) |
| Raymond Longford Award | Byron Kennedy Award |
| Fred Schepisi | John Duigan |