ACMI

ACMI, formerly the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, is Australia's national museum of screen culture, situated at Federation Square in Melbourne, Victoria. Established in 2002, the institution encompasses film, television, videogames, digital culture, and art. It operates as a public museum with curated exhibitions, a permanent exhibition tracing the history of the moving image, film screenings, educational programs, and a library and online collection. The museum underwent a major $40 million redevelopment that concluded in 2021, reinforcing its position as a leading international centre for screen culture and learning.

ACMI's institutional roots trace back to the State Film Centre of Victoria, established in 1946 at the Treasury Theatre. Through the 1950s, the centre produced television projects and archived Australian films including The Sentimental Bloke (1919) and On Our Selection (1920). During the 1960s, it advised local filmmakers on treatments, production, scripts, and distribution; in 1969, it assumed management of the State Film Theatre for non-commercial screenings. The 1970s saw acquisition of student films and works by the emerging Australian film industry, including Peter Weir's Homesdale (1971), Tim Burstall's Stork (1971) and Alvin Purple (1973), and Fred Schepisi's The Devil's Playground (1976). An education program launched in 1988 provided screenings for Victorian Certificate of Education students.

In 1993, a Victorian state government report affirmed the viability of an Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Following an open international two-stage design competition, Lab Architecture Studio in association with Bates Smart architects was selected in July 1997. Federation Square was conceived as a new civic space above the Jolimont railyards for Australia's Centenary of Federation.

The Australian Centre for the Moving Image was officially established by the Film Act 2001 (Victoria) on 1 January 2002. Its first stage opened in October 2002 with exhibitions Deep Space: Sensation & Immersion and Ngarinyin Pathways Dulwan in the Screen Gallery, followed shortly by ACMI Cinemas. In September 2009, the Australian Mediatheque and the Screen Worlds gallery opened; the latter was inaugurated by Cate Blanchett, who loaned her Oscar for The Aviator. Screen Worlds: The Story of Film, Television and Digital Culture offered a free permanent exhibition on moving image history, while the Mediatheque partnered with the National Film and Sound Archive to provide twelve viewing booths for public access to collection materials.

In May 2019, ACMI closed for a $40 million redevelopment, reopening in February 2021 with The Story of the Moving Image as its new permanent exhibition. BKK Architects redesigned functional layout and public spaces, while Publicis Sapient/Second Story designed the centrepiece exhibition, the Gandel Digital Future Labs, and the Blackmagic Design Media Preservation Lab. The museum also launched Hero, a restaurant, bar, and café by Karen Martini and Michael Gebran of HospitalityM.

Leadership has included John J. Smithies, first director and CEO from March 2002, who had previously directed the State Film Centre from 1992 and oversaw its merger into Cinemedia in 1997. Tony Sweeney, former deputy director of the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television (UK), served from 2005 to 2015, overseeing record growth and the Imaging Frontiers masterplan. Katrina Sedgwick directed from February 2015 to 2022 before moving to the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation. Seb Chan, ACMI's Chief Experience Officer since 2015 and current President of the Australian Museums and Galleries Association, was appointed Director and CEO in August 2022.

ACMI's collections and programming span the full breadth of screen culture: film, television, videogames, digital culture, and art. The institution maintains a library and online collection of film and video, and partners with the National Film and Sound Archive to make Australian film information accessible. Its exhibitions address both historical and contemporary moving image practices, with collaborations extending to film festivals and events such as the Independent Games Festival. The 1,600 square metre permanent exhibition The Story of the Moving Image contains over 900 objects exploring the past, present, and future of screen media. The Gandel Digital Future Labs and the Blackmagic Design Media Preservation Lab represent dedicated spaces for digital innovation and conservation within the collection framework.

The Story of the Moving Image serves as ACMI's signature permanent exhibition, occupying 1,600 square metres and featuring more than 900 objects that trace the evolution of film, television, videogames, and art. The earlier Screen Worlds exhibition, opened in 2009, was inaugurated with Cate Blanchett's Academy Award for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator (2004), loaned specifically for the occasion. The Australian Mediatheque, developed in partnership with the National Film and Sound Archive, provides access to films, television clips, new media, and artworks from both NFSA and ACMI collections through its twelve viewing booths. The museum's historical acquisitions include significant works from the Australian film renaissance, such as Peter Weir's Homesdale (1971), Tim Burstall's Stork (1971) and Alvin Purple (1973), and Fred Schepisi's The Devil's Playground (1976), alongside early Australian cinema landmarks like The Sentimental Bloke (1919) and On Our Selection (1920) inherited from the State Film Centre of Victoria.

ACMI is located at Federation Square in the City of Melbourne, a civic precinct constructed above the Jolimont railyards to commemorate Australia's Centenary of Federation. The original building was designed by Lab Architecture Studio in association with Bates Smart architects, winners of an open international two-stage design competition concluded in July 1997. The 2021 redevelopment by Melbourne-based BKK Architects reconfigured the museum's functional layout and public spaces. The site incorporates multiple dedicated spaces including the Screen Gallery, ACMI Cinemas, the Australian Mediatheque, the Gandel Digital Future Labs, the Blackmagic Design Media Preservation Lab, and Hero, the museum's restaurant, bar, and café.

ACMI is situated at Federation Square in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and operates as a publicly accessible national museum. Visitors can access a regular program of film screenings and events, curated temporary exhibitions, and the free permanent exhibition The Story of the Moving Image. The museum provides educational programs and creative workshops, including practical film-making sessions. Two cinemas accommodate both traditional and digital film presentations. The Australian Mediatheque offers drop-in access to collection materials through twelve viewing booths. ACMI's website at https://www.acmi.net.au provides further information on current programming and access.