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

19
December
Pink duotone image of woman with film projector
Thursday 7:00 pm
You've Got Mail
Real-life rivals fall in love over email in this nostalgic ‘90s classic set at the dawn of the internet revolution.
3
January
Still from Arabian Nights, 1974
Friday 8:00 pm
Arabian Nights
Pier Paolo Pasolini’s erotic rendering of the influential collection of Middle Eastern folktales.
4
January
Still from Rear Window, 1954
Saturday 8:00 pm
Rear Window
A photographer spies on his neighbours and begins to suspect murder in Hitchcock’s classic exploration of voyeurism.
9
January
Pink duotone image of a camera
Thursday 1:00 pm
Ice Age (35mm)
The first film in the beloved family franchise that animated an unlikely band of prehistoric animals who must protect a human baby.

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!

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.   

Special events
SAT 6 – THU 18 DEC | 7PM
Rom-Com Christmas Spotlight

This Christmas spotlight presents three genre-defining rom-coms: Rob Reiner’s When Harry Met Sally alongside Nora Ephron's Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail. 

FRI 13 DEC | 8PM
Cult Classics: The Terminator

Don’t miss our final Cult Classics film for 2024, a 40th Anniversary celebration featuring a pre-screening introduction and live performance by Venus Mantrap!

SAT 14 DEC | 7PM
Tokyo Godfathers

Three fringe dwellers on the streets of Tokyo band together to find a lost baby’s parents in a beautifully animated work of magical realism.

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.

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.