NFSA Canberra

Events + Experiences

We’re open daily in Acton’s cultural precinct. Check out our ticketed events, explore our heritage building for free or simply enjoy a locally roasted coffee in our sunny courtyard. 

FILM SERIES

What’s On at Arc Cinema

20
March
Photo of a bridge crossing a river
Thursday 7:00 pm
Bridge on the River Kwai
A Second World War masterpiece of honour, obsession and insanity that won seven Oscars.
22
March
Photo of snow-covered railway tracks and surrounding trees
Saturday 7:00 pm
Snowpiercer
After climate collapse, a train becomes a closed class-based system where hierarchy is brutally enforced.

Calendar + tickets

Discover more about Arc Cinema and the program

Enjoy our curated program of recent releases and revived classics, from high art to guilty pleasures. There’s something for everyone!

Cutting-edge audiovisual experience
Installations and experiences
Constellations

An immersive audiovisual experience by Robin Fox in which sound, light, and space collide.

 

Open 27 February to 4 May in the Gallery, seven days a week. Admission is free. 

Special events
FRI 21 MAR | 6PM
Pizza & Pyjamas: Spirited Away

A young girl enters the Japanese spirit world of an enchanted bathhouse in a masterpiece of animation.

WED 26 MAR | 6PM
Science. Art. Film.: Tank Girl

Presented as part of our Science. Art. Film. series in partnership with ANU, join us for a lively discussion on the many facets of interpreting (and studying) this cult classic, including a focus on the power and role of sand and sandscapes in the film.

3-5 APR
Mardi Gras Film Festival

Share your love of cinema as Queer Screen's 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival (MGFF) brings the best new LGBTQIA+ films to Arc Cinema from 3 to 5 April 2025.

16 FEB–7 DEC
Book Club at the NFSA

Join the NFSA in partnership with Canberra Writers Festival for a series of screenings and discussions, exploring how culturally significant books have been adapted and reimagined as films. Perfect for bookworms and film buffs alike!

Explore the NFSA
Wooden display case in gallery space
https://www.nfsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-11/RecentRelics_gracecostaphotographer%20crop.jpg
Open daily - free admission
Recent Relics

A pop culture explosion from the '80s, '90s, and early 2000s, this new permanent installation boasts two beautifully restored display cases filled with iconic objects that celebrate our contemporary audiovisual experiences. 

Image of carpeted room with large screen at one end and chairs at the other
https://www.nfsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-11/NFSA%20-%20Mediatheque%20-%20%20Christopher%20Morris.jpg
Open daily - free admission
Mediatheque

Step into the Mediatheque, a welcoming lounge to gather and enjoy highlights from the NFSA’s audiovisual archives. 

View from the back row of an empty cinema with red seating, large screen and wooden stage at front
https://www.nfsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-11/NFSA%20-%20Theatrette%20-%20%20Christopher%20Morris.jpg
Open weekends and for events
Theatrette

Catch free documentaries on rotation every weekend and book your tickets for our monthly Vinyl Lounge listening party.

Image of two coffees in mugs on table with teaspoons
https://www.nfsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-11/NFSA%20-%20Cafe%20-%20%20Christopher%20Morris.jpg
OPEN WEEKDAYS 8.30AM–3PM | WEEKENDS 10AM–2PM
Cafe and bar

Enjoy locally roasted Redbrick coffee and a selection of sandwiches and sweet treats. Open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 3pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 2pm. Joining us for an evening screening? The cafe and bar is also open late for NFSA screenings and events.

The courtyard at the NFSA with the pond in the front and tables and umbrellas in the background
https://www.nfsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-09/Venue-hire_courtyard.jpg
Open daily
1930s courtyard

A sanctuary for all seasons, with beautifully landscaped gardens framed by covered seating areas – perfect for quiet coffees.

A meeting room with a colourful carpet and blue chairs arranged around a long wooden boardroom table. There is a framed photograph on the wall.
https://www.nfsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-10/Kookaburra%20Room.jpg
Open daily - free admission
Kookaburra Room

Newly renovated in collaboration with Australian designer Mel Page, the Kookaburra Room celebrates the heritage aesthetic of our Acton building, with vintage 1930s furniture from the Institute of Anatomy and a colourful array of entertainment-themed mugs on display from the NFSA collection.

A celebration of pop culture curiosities
Installations and experiences
The Library

Lose yourself in The Library, a treasure box of the NFSA’s most precious, wondrous, and whimsical artefacts.   

Stay connected

Based in or around Canberra? Sign up to our weekly What’s On e-newsletter. 

Visit us

There’s something for everyone at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia in Canberra. Drop in for date night, a family outing or a quiet afternoon to yourself.


Open daily, in Acton’s cultural precinct.