ACMI over Summer

When: Dec 17-Feb 14

Seek reprieve from the heat and spend a few air-conditioned hours getting lost in the world of film with ACMI’s first-class summer program. Unravel the mysteries of volcanoes with the American-Canadian film Fire of Love; see if there is life on mars with Brett Morgan’s intergalactic collage of David Bowie’s life and work in Moonage Daydream; watch Timothée Chalamet get hungry for love in this story about a pair of teenage cannibals in Bones and All; pick your jaw off the floor during Ruben Ostlund’s latest satirical black comedy, Triangle of Sadness; escape the city for a summer on the islands around Stockholm with the 1953 Ingmar Bergman classic Summer with Monika; or relive the 1970s with the spellbinding Australian mystery Picnic at Hanging Rock. 

Expect all of these films and much more. Purchase a single ticket multipass, a three-session pass for $33-$45, or a six-session pass for $66-$84. Discover the complete program and purchase tickets here. 

When: Mon-Fri noon-5pm; Sat, Sun 10am-5pm (closed Christmas Day) 

From our television screens, smartphones, and consoles to cinemas, the moving image has opened up new worlds and shaped who we are, how we see ourselves and the world we inhabit. ACMI’s free year-round exhibition, The Story of the Moving Image, spans time, country, and culture to explore an art form that heralded a technological revolution. Discover the five stories that capture the significant moments of moving image history, from the origins and future of cinema, production design and the creative process, Australian culture and stories, the rise of video games, and how screens can inform and empower us as storytellers. 

The Story of the Moving Image is an interactive experience for all the family and even allows visitors to animate their own shadows, craft optical toys, assemble film scenes and make soundscapes in a custom Foley studio. The Story of the Moving Image is a chance to time travel through the past, present and future of the moving image through interactive experiences, digital innovation and unforgettable stories. Learn more about the exhibition on the ACMI website here. 

When: Tue-Sat noon-late; Sun noon-4pm

If the humidity has left you feeling hot-headed, cool off in the shade of Hero – ACMI’s premier bar, café and dining destination. Hero is an uncomplicated, unaffected space where ideas of film, food, art, and music fuse together to create an electric culture from day to night. At the helm of Hero is heroine Karen Martini, the award-winning chef whose menu strives to exhibit the best of modern Australian-Mediterranean cuisine with Victorian seasonal produce. Expect dishes such as farfalle with pistachio and green sauce, tuna crudo with black barley, spanner crab bruschetta with whipped bean toulom and Aleppo pepper to Cape Grim grass-fed bavette steak with hero butter and french fries. Discover more about Hero and book a table on the website here.

When: Daily 10am-5pm 

Discover a cabinet of curiosities at ACMI’s shop – dedicated to all things moving image. The shop stocks exclusive merchandise manufactured as locally as possible. Working with independent artists and community groups, there is a whole range of sustainably sourced products to choose from. Expect to find screen-culture books, off-beat collectables, ACMI posters and merchandise, cards and quirky gifts, apparel, puzzles and videogames. Specialising in exclusive pieces and products, ACMI's shop is the place to find that perfect stocking filler or gift for any age. Visit the website and see some of the products available on the ACMI website here.