by FilmInk Staff
The Melbourne Cinémathèque returns in 2026 with its annual calendar of screenings at ACMI, Fed Square, covering major artists of world cinema alongside under-seen local films, and featuring a mix of new digital restorations and rare original film prints.
Starting 4 February, the opening 2026 season ‘“You Can Never Go Fast Enough”: The Early 1970s Road Movie as the Quintessential New Hollywood Genre’ re-examines how the classic American imagery of the highway began to represent a burnt-out dissolution at the end of 1960s, while spurring urgent and exciting films from a number of first-time feature directors including Terrence Malick, Steven Spielberg, and Barbara Loden.
Highlighting recently unearthed discoveries from film history, the 2026 program features a retrospective on a bold and fantastical French writer-director, ‘Tales of Modern Love: Leos Carax, Rebirthing Cinema’, including a restoration screening of his rarely-seen extended mini-series edit of 1999’s Pola X, Pierre ou, les ambiguités (2001), just weeks after the new version’s world premiere. ‘Life On Hold: Jocelyne Saab, A Voice For The Displaced’ presents the recently restored work of the maverick Lebanese documentary and fiction filmmaker, including her masterful and confronting explorations of the Lebanese Civil War, Beirut, My City (1982) and The Razor’s Edge (1985).
Elsewhere, the 2026 program surveys a range of different times and places across cinema history, from the elegantly choreographed action films of Hong Kong director Johnnie To, to the vibrant and provocative work of American auteur Spike Lee, the era-defining personae of British actress Julie Christie, and the enduring soundtracks of Czech composer Zdeněk Liška.
The Cinémathèque also continues its dedication to Australian cinema and its history: ‘Persons of Interest: The Independent Film Work of Haydn Keenan and Esben Storm’ surveys the tenacious work of two of the Australian New Wave’s most uncompromising – and unjustly overlooked – artists; while ‘Critical Landscapes: The Polymorphic Worlds of Ross Gibson’ pays tribute to the immensely important post-colonial artist, thinker and educator, who passed away in 2023.
The Cinémathèque strives to remain accessible through its unique membership model, allowing affordable admission to screenings via either a 12-month or three-week membership.
The program screens weekly at ACMI, 7pm on Wednesdays between 4 February – 16 December. Full details are now available at melbournecinematheque.org.
Screenings are presented by the Melbourne Cinémathèque and ACMI, and curated by the Melbourne Cinémathèque. The Melbourne Cinémathèque is supported by Creative Partnerships Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund.
LISTING DETAILS
Melbourne Cinémathèque 2026 screening program
4 February – 16 December 2026
7pm Wednesdays at ACMI, Fed Square
Full program: melbournecinematheque.org
