As part of our collaboration with @emergingwriters.bsky.social and @melbcinematheque.bsky.social, Liên Ta reflects on themes of religious devotion and sacrifice in several films screened during the Cinémathèque's season ‘Cine de Oro: Treasures of Mexican Cinema’s Golden Age.' tinyurl.com/2hycfntr

The Melbourne Cinémathèque is thrilled to announce our full screening program for 2026, comprising seventeen thoughtfully curated seasons covering major artists of world cinema and under-seen local films, through a mix of new digital restorations and rare original film prints.

We’re excited to announce the first season in our 2026 screening program "You can never go fast enough": The Early 1970s Road Movie as the Quintessential New Hollywood Genre. Look out for our full 2026 program announcement coming Tuesday 13 of January!

"Happiness, community, and fantasy are no less present in spaces like this." Sydney Leoli Reyes draws on the sights and sounds of four Filipino masterworks, which screened in October and November as part of the @melbcinematheque.bsky.social Lino Brocka season. tinyurl.com/4j6ru4k2

Join us on Wednesday 17 December for the final Melbourne Cinémathèque program of 2025. 7:00pm – SEED (1931) on 35mm 8:50pm – MEMORY LANE (1926) on 35mm

Join us on Wednesday 10 December for the second night of our focus on the pioneering Hollywood director John M. Stahl. 7:00pm – LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN (1945) 9:05pm – MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION (1935)

Join us on Wednesday 3 December for the first night of our new season, The Courage to Take Things Seriously: John M. Stahl’s Unironic Melodramas. 7:00pm – IMITATION OF LIFE (1934) 9:10pm – BACK STREET (1932)

The annotations from our past three weeks of screenings are now live on @sensesofcinema.bsky.social!

In my absolute flurry of a week (including doing a conference roundtable, driving from Wollongong to Sydney, and flying back to Melbourne to intro this all in one day) I forgot to share that it was all happening 😅 But I think it went well and it was a joy to share these films.

Join us on Wednesday 26 November for a special one-night presentation, Mother Tongue: Australian Women in Animation. 7:00pm – BREAKING GROUND: FIVE ANIMATIONS FROM THE 1980s 8:45pm – PERSONAL AND POETIC: AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S ANIMATION AFTER 1990

Join us on Wednesday 19 November for the second and final night of our focus on Australian Cinema in 1975. 7:00pm – SUNDAY TOO FAR AWAY (1975) preceded by WE ARE ALL ALONE MY DEAR (1975, 22 mins) 9:10pm – PROTECTED: THE TRUTH ABOUT PALM ISLAND (1975)

Join us on Wednesday 12 November for the opening night of our new season, It's Time: Australian Cinema in 1975. 7:00pm – PURE SHIT (1975) Preceded by STRUTTIN’ THE MUTTON (1975) 9:00pm – THE IDES OF NOVEMBER (1979–1980) 10:15pm – HOMOSEXUALITY: A FILM FOR DISCUSSION (1975)

Join us on Wednesday 5 November for the conclusion of our season, Marx, Melodrama and Marcos: Lino Brocka From The Mid-1970s To The Early 1980s. 7:00pm – BONA (1980) 8:40pm – CAIN AND ABEL (1982) Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

“Marx, Melodrama and Marcos: Lino Brocka from the Mid-1970s to the Early 1980s” opens Wednesday @melbcinematheque.bsky.social ! www.criterion.com/current/post...

Join us on Wednesday 29 October for the opening night of Marx, Melodrama and Marcos: Lino Brocka from the Mid-1970s to the Early 1980s. 7:00pm – INSIANG (1976) 8:55pm – MANILA IN THE CLAWS OF LIGHT (1975) Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

Join us on Wednesday 22 October for the second part of our focus on Palestinian actor-director Elia Suleiman. 7:00pm – THE TIME THAT REMAINS (2009) 9:05pm – IT MUST BE HEAVEN (2019) Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

Join us on Wednesday 15 October for the opening night of our new season, "On the Edge of Fiction": Elia Suleiman's Cinema of Belonging. 7:00pm – CHRONICLE OF A DISAPPEARANCE (1996) on 35mm 8:45pm – DIVINE INTERVENTION (2002) on 35mm Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

Join us on Wednesday 8 October for the final night in our season dedicated to Czech film pioneer František Vláčil. 7:00pm – THE WHITE DOVE (1960) Preceded by CLOUDS OF GLASS (1958) 8:45pm – SHADOWS OF A HOT SUMMER (1978) in 4K Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

Join us on Wednesday 1 October for the second night of our Czech film season, One For The Ages: The Balladic, Painterly Cinema of František Vláčiz. 7:00pm – THE DEVIL’S TRAP (1962) 8:40pm – ADELHEID (1970) Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

Join us on Wednesday 24 September for the opening night of our focus on František Vláčil, presented in partnership with the Czech and Slovak Film Festival of Australia. 7:00pm – MARKETA LAZAROVÁ (1967) in 4K Preceded by THE CITY IN WHITE (1972) Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

Join us on Wednesday 17 September for the final session in our Mexican Cinema season, Cine de Oro: Treasures of Mexican Cinema's Golden Age. 7:00pm – MACARIO (1960) 8:45pm – TWO MONKS (1934) Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

Our first piece in collaboration with the Emerging Writers' Festival x @melbcinematheque.bsky.social is a work of short fiction by Laetitia Um—a response to the Cinémathèque's recent Seijun Suzuki season that explores the troubled psyche of a side character in BRANDED TO KILL. tinyurl.com/mu2ajak9

The Emerging Writers Festival (EWF), returns from 11–18 September. This year the Melbourne Cinémathèque and @roughcutfilm.bsky.social are partnering with EWF, with three writers selected to creatively respond to our programming. Explore the full EWF 2025 program: emergingwritersfestival.org.au

Join us on Wednesday 10 September for the second week of our season Cine de Oro: Treasures of Mexican Cinema's Golden Age. 7:00pm – VICTIMS OF SIN (1951) 8:45pm – EL FANTASMA DEL CONVENTO (1934) Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

Join us on Wednesday 3 September for the opening night of Cine de Oro: Treasures of Mexican Cinema’s Golden Age. 7:00pm – ENAMORADA (1946) 9:00pm – MARÍA CANDELARIA (1944) Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

We would be very grateful if you could take 1–2 minutes to complete our mid-year survey. Leave your email address to be entered into a draw to win one of five mini-memberships! Survey closes Wednesday 6 August at 11:59pm: forms.gle/f1ubNvhn26zPJokDA

Melbourne Cinémathèque is excited to launch our new Model Your Merch competition. Read below for your chance to win an annual membership and other prizes in 2026!

Join us on Wednesday 30 July for the final night of our Seijun Suzuki season. 7:00pm – OUR BLOOD WILL NOT FORGIVE (1964) on 35mm 8:50pm – PASSPORT TO DARKNESS (1959) on 35mm Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

On Wednesday 23 July our focus on Seijun Suzuki continues. 7:00pm – GATE OF FLESH (1964) 8:45pm – SMASHING THE O-LINE (1960) on 35mm Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

On Wednesday 16 July our new season Appetite for Deconstruction: Seijun Suzuki begins. 7:00pm – BRANDED TO KILL (1967) 8:50pm – THE MADNESS OF YOUTH (1960) on 35mm Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

Join us on Wednesday 9 July for a one-night only retrospective of films by Melbourne-based filmmaker Dirk de Bruyn 7:00pm – HOMECOMINGS (1987) 98 mins, preceded by RE-VUE (2017) 6 mins 9:10pm – TELESCOPE (2012) 78 mins, preceded by FLINDERS (2024) 13 mins Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

Join us this Wednesday 2 July for the final night of our Delphine Seyrig season! 7:00pm – BE PRETTY AND SHUT UP! (1981) 9:05pm – CALAMITY JANE & DELPHINE SEYRIG: A STORY (2020) & preceded by SCUM MANIFESTO (1976) Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

Join us on Wednesday 25 June as our focus on actor, director and activist Delphine Seyrig continues with two hypnotic films directed by Marguerite Duras. 7:00pm – INDIA SONG (1975) 9:15pm – BAXTER, VERA BAXTER (1977)

The @melbcinematheque.bsky.social is hoping to secure $23,000 in tax-deductible donations to help with a 2026 program and the future. If you have the means, please consider supporting local film culture in Naarm. We are so close to the goal! artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2...

Going to be on 3CR 855AM radio soon talking about Delphine Seyrig at the @melbcinematheque.bsky.social

On Wednesday 18 June our new season Rebellious Muse: Delphine Seyrig as Actor, Director and Activist begins. 7:00pm – LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD (1961) 8:55pm – MURIEL OU LE TEMPS D’UN RETOUR (1963) Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

Join us on Wednesday 11 June for the final night of Víctor Erice: Come Towards the Light. 7:00pm – PASSING THE TIME: FOUR SHORTS BY VÍCTOR ERICE (2002–18) 8:10pm – CLOSE YOUR EYES (2023) Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

Join us on Wednesday 4 June for the second week of our focus on the great Spanish filmmaker Víctor Erice: 7:00pm – EL SUR (1983), 35mm print preceded by LA MORTE ROUGE (2006) 9:25pm – VÍCTOR ERICE–ABBAS KIAROSTAMI: CORRESPONDENCES (2007) Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

The Melbourne Cinémathèque mounts an internationally renowned program of rare and significant films. Please consider supporting our 2026 screening program by making a tax-deductible donation. artists.australianculturalfund.org.au/s/project/a2...

Join us on Wednesday 28 May for the opening night of our new season Víctor Erice: Come Towards the Light. 7:00pm – THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE (1973) 8:55pm – THE QUINCE TREE SUN (1992) 4K DCP Memberships: acmi.net.au/cteq

Join us on Wednesday 21 May for the conclusion of our focus on Barbara Steele. At 7pm, we’ll be screening Riccardo Freda’s THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK (1962), followed at 8:40pm by Federico Fellini’s 8 ½ (1963). Full details of the program available on our site.

Join us Wednesday 14 May as our program ‘Barbara Steele: The Queen of Scream’ continues. At 7pm we’ll be screening Antonio Margheriti’s THE LONG HAIR OF DEATH (1964), followed at 8:50pm by Vernon Sewell’s CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR (1968).

Join us Wednesday 7 May for the first week of our tribute to ‘the Queen of Scream’, Barbara Steele (1937–). At 7pm we’ll be screening Mario Bava’s BLACK SUNDAY (1960), followed at 8:45pm by Roger Corman’s THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961). Full details of the program available on our site.

Join us Wednesday 30 April for the final films in our current Michael Haneke season. At 7pm we screen TIME OF THE WOLF (2003), followed at 9.05pm by a 35mm print of THE PIANO PLAYER (2001) courtesy of the @nfsaonline.bsky.social Full details on our site www.melbournecinematheque.org/category/pre...

Join us on Wednesday 23 April as we continue our Michael Haneke season. At 7pm we will screen the Palme d’Or winning film, AMOUR (2012), followed at 9.15pm by LEMMINGS TALE 1: ARCADIA (1979). Full details of the program can be found at our site www.melbournecinematheque.org/category/pre...

Prepping for tonight's Primal Screen show on 3RRR 102.7FM, chatting about Merle Oberon, Haneke films at @melbcinematheque.bsky.social, and the new Cillian Murphy film. Tune in at 7pm

Join us on Wednesday 9 April for the final night in our season of 1970s American neo noir. At 7pm we’ll be screening CHINATOWN (1974) in 4K DCP. At 9.25pm we will show a rare 35mm print of THE HONEYMOON KILLERS (1970). We advise you to arrive early to secure a seat. Full details are on our website.

Join us this Wednesday 2 April for part 2 of our 1970s American neo noir season. At 7pm we screen KLUTE (1971), followed at 9.10pm by THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE (1973). The season is proving very popular so arrive early if you don’t want you to miss out. www.melbournecinematheque.org/category/pre...

Over the next three Wednesdays, @melbcinematheque.bsky.social will present “Out of the Past and Into Flares: Neonoir in 1970s America” — www.criterion.com/current/post...

If you're interested in finding out more about our upcoming season of 1970s American neo noir films, 'Out of the past and into flares: neo noirs in 1970s America', you can listen to one of our program committee, Adrian Danks, talking about it on 3CR's On Screen program omny.fm/shows/on-scr...