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Australian Cinémathèque
Institution of film in Brisbane From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Australian Cinémathèque, located within the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is an institution dedicated to film and the moving image.[1] It offers a diverse program of historical, contemporary and archival film and visual media and is a key venue for the Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF). The Australian Cinémathèque is an Associate Member of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), an organisation of the world's leading film archives dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of film.
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Overview
Since opening at GOMA in 2006, the Australian Cinémathèque has become recognised for its ambitious, research-driven programming and commitment to showcasing global screen culture. The Cinémathèque’s two purpose-built cinemas, Cinema A (220 seats) and Cinema B (110 seats), are among Australia’s few venues designed to accommodate the full range of screening formats, including 35mm and 16mm celluloid alongside contemporary digital media. Screenings are held year-round and most sessions are free to the public.
The Australian Cinémathèque is known for pairing major exhibitions with complementary film programs; presenting overlooked or under-screened cinema histories; and hosting guest filmmakers, scholars, and artists for talks, masterclasses and in-person events. Live musical accompaniment, including performances on the venue’s restored 1929 Wurlitzer organ, remains a signature part of its experience.
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History
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Origins
The foundations of the Cinémathèque emerged in the 1990s, when the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) began collecting video art and presenting moving-image exhibitions as part of the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT). Recognising the need for dedicated screening spaces, the Queensland Government incorporated a cinematheque into plans for the new Gallery of Modern Art, established at Kurilpa Point.[2]
Establishment at GOMA
The Queensland Government championed the creation of GOMA in the early 2000s, allocating $260 million from the 1999 State Budget to position Queensland as a cultural and creative hub.[1][2] In May 2000, Premier Peter Beattie and Arts Minister Matt Foley announced an international design competition for the new gallery, which would include the Cinémathèque as a core feature, along with production facilities and a media gallery, establishing a model for integrating cinema into an art museum.[3][4]
From over 170 submissions across 24 countries, Sydney-based firm Architectus, in association with Davenport Campbell and Partners, was selected in July 2002.[5][6][7] The Australian Cinémathèque officially launched in 2005, a year before GOMA’s opening, with an inaugural program highlighting cinema, experimental film, and moving-image art.[8] The early launch allowed the institution to establish its programming approach and signal its role as a central feature of the new gallery.[9]
Wurlitzer Organ
The Australian Cinémathèque is home to a 1929 Wurlitzer Style 260 Opus 2040 Pipe Organ. Originally located within Brisbane's Regent Theatre between 1929 and 1964, it remained in private ownership for decades until it was restored and installed in Cinema A in December 2006.[10][11]
The Wurlitzer Organ has remained largely unchanged and continues to serve as a notable element of Queensland's cultural heritage. It is utilised for accompanying classic silent films, providing an immersive audio experience through powerful pipes which are positioned beneath the seating area.
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Programming
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The Australian Cinémathèque provides an ongoing program of film and visual media that includes screenings of influential filmmakers, international cinema, rare 35mm and 16mm prints, recent restorations, and silent films with live musical accompaniment.
The two main cinemas are located on the ground floor of the gallery and are one of the few in Australia capable of screening a full range of movie media, including 35mm and 16mm celluloid film, tape and various digital file formats.[12] Cinema A seats 220 and Cinema B seats 110.[13]
Screenings take place Wednesday and Friday nights, as well as matinees on weekends. Most screenings are free admission.[14]
Recent programs
As of 25 October 2024[update], the Cinematheque's programs include:
- Asia-Pacific Triennial Cinema: Tsai Ming-liang – A near-complete career survey of the celebrated Taiwan-based Malaysian filmmaker, featuring an Australian-exclusive in-person 'In Conversation' event.[15]
- For the Love of It: A Curator's Pick – A select program of films chosen by the Cinémathèque's curatorial team for their personal or cultural significance.[16]
- Yvonne Rainer: Everything is a Performance – Exploring Rainer's pioneering contributions to avant-garde cinema through seven feature films directed between 1972 and 1996.[17]
- Live Music & Film – An ongoing program combining of film with a live musical accompaniment by local musicians or on the Gallery's 1929 Wurlitzer Organ.[18]
Thematic and genre programs
The Cinematheque is notable for its thematic and genre programming. As of 25 October 2024[update], recent programming includes:
- The Cracked Actor: Bowie on Screen – A special retrospective of David Bowie's cinematic contributions.
- Transcendence: A Cinema of Awe – Exploring wonder, awe and positing profound questions about the human experience.
- Necessary Images: The Films of Robert Bresson – A special retrospective of Robert Bresson, one of the monumental figures of French cinema.
- Mad Science – Exploring science and scientists throughout the history of cinema.
- Fairy Tales Cinema: Truth, Power and Enchantment – Presented in conjunction with GOMA's summer exhibition ‘Fairy Tales’, showcasing beloved classics of the genre alongside contemporary retellings.
- Cinema Obstructed – An eclectic survey of films which navigate literal, political or creative obstructions by their makers.
Other notable programs have showcased the work of actors, directors and cinematographers through special retrospectives and dedicated programs. These include Robert Bresson, Powell & Pressburger, Ute Araund & Robert Beavers, Gregory J. Markopoulos, Andrzej Zulawski, John Seale, Juliette Binoche, Mikio Naruse, Joyce Godenzi, Jane Campion, Frederico Fellini, Ernst Lubitsch, Wong Kar-wai, Aleksei German, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Luchino Visconti, Ida Lupino, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Ingmar Bergman, Masaki Kobayashi, Shirley Clarke, David Lynch, Andrey Tarkovsky, Claire Denis, Andy Warhol and David Bowie.
Film festivals
Festival partners
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References
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