Discover pop culture treasures, share classic films and join the conversation with world-leading filmmakers and creatives.
The Winter Film Series is on screen at the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) in Acton, with something to draw everyone out of the house in Canberra’s chillier months.
Rocky, Cool Hand Luke and Dr. Strangelove all return to the Arc Cinema big screen this season, alongside other iconic flicks of the 1960s, 70s and 80s. There’s a generous helping of nostalgia for millennials too, with Zoolander, Almost Famous and A League of Their Own on the bill.
The NFSA co-presents the BIRRARANGGA Film Festival from 20 to 23 June: a showcase of outstanding features and shorts from First Nations filmmakers around the world exploring strength, resilience and the environment. Special guests for Q&As throughout the program include screen creative, actor and co-curator Tony Briggs; activist, artist and actor Tāme Iti; screenwriter Boyd Quakawoot; and filmmakers Nina Nawalowalo and Matthias Luafutu.
For families, tickets are available now for July school holiday sessions of Cool Runnings, Lilo & Stitch, Bend It Like Beckham and Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle. Following a sold-out Easter screening of Hercules, the NFSA will offer another family special: a Friday night ‘pizza and pyjamas’ screening of Casper, the first live-action feature to star a CGI character. Parents and grandparents can also introduce young film buffs to cherished classics Annie, Oliver! and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
The Winter Film Series also celebrates women in the film industry, with a spotlight on early career highlights of Australian cinematographer Ari Wegner, best known for her work on Lady Macbeth, True History of the Kelly Gang and The Power of the Dog. The NFSA will host a free panel conversation with award-winning casting director Anousha Zarkesh, celebrated composer Bryony Marks, and Dr Nell Greenwood, CEO of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, moderated by Screen Canberra’s Dr Holly Trueman.
For those simply looking to spend a quiet morning or afternoon, the NFSA’s heritage building is open daily to explore for free. Discover vintage tech, costumes, posters and clips from the national collection – or simply unwind with a locally roasted coffee in the sunny courtyard. On weekends, drop in for a free documentary screening at 11am or 1pm.
And for those yet to experience the larger-than-life cockatoos and galahs in Temple, this mesmerising installation by Leila Jeffreys and Melvin J. Montalban is open daily until 30 June. Truly a temple to nature, the exhibition has the power to immerse us in the present moment.
Winter Film Series details and tickets are available at nfsa.gov.au/events
