One of the most curious chapters in Australia's cinematic history began in 1948 when petroleum group Shell Company of Australia formed its own film production unit.'Shell Film Unit Australia' produced hundreds of promotional and educational films about mining, roads, infrastructure, sports and motoring and other similar topics. While films like The…

For two decades, Universal Everything's Creative Director, Matt Pyke, has been working with teams of curious and creative beings worldwide to create large-scale, life-affirming digital artworks with the world's most iconic artists, institutions and brands – all while staying "small", artistically-driven and saying "no" to things they simply don't w…

As an artist collective, Marshmallow Laser Feast seeks to find emotional resonance in scientific stories – stories that connect us to the more-than-human world. When coupled with emerging technologies, these stories deepen our understanding of what it is to be something other than human.While developing their artworks, Marshmallow Laser Feast condu…

As an artist collective, Marshmallow Laser Feast seeks to find emotional resonance in scientific stories – stories that connect us to the more-than-human world. When coupled with emerging technologies, these stories deepen our understanding of what it is to be something other than human.While developing their artworks, Marshmallow Laser Feast condu…

As an artist collective, Marshmallow Laser Feast seeks to find emotional resonance in scientific stories – stories that connect us to the more-than-human world. When coupled with emerging technologies, these stories deepen our understanding of what it is to be something other than human.While developing their artworks, Marshmallow Laser Feast condu…

As an artist collective, Marshmallow Laser Feast seeks to find emotional resonance in scientific stories – stories that connect us to the more-than-human world. When coupled with emerging technologies, these stories deepen our understanding of what it is to be something other than human.While developing their artworks, Marshmallow Laser Feast condu…

This special episode of the Mirring Yalingwa Podcast, hosted by Wurundjeri and Ngurai-Illum-Wurrung man Jasper Cohen-Hunter, was recorded at ACMI to kick off NAIDOC Week for 2023. Produced by Jasper, the podcast focuses on Australian cinema and First Nations-led cinema productions.Jasper Cohen-Hunter: "Across every generation, our Elders have playe…

Greta Nash's most recent short film, Heart Throb (2023), is about an 18-year-old, Gray (Gabriel Cali), whose love for his best friend Angelo is complicated by his desire for TikTok stardom. Last year, Greta underwent a Director's Attachment on Run Rabbit Run, funded by Screen Australia, and in the year prior, they wrote a polished draft of their fi…

Since 2016, artist Anthony Tan has been working on Way To The Woods, a third person adventure game where a deer and a fawn must embark on a journey through an abandoned world to get home. Anthony joined ACMI X as resident in 2022 to put the finishing touches on his highly anticipated game, which has received global attention for its gorgeous art st…

Have you considered what form is best for your story?In this episode, we talk about Jason's path into the industry and strategy for storytelling; finding a personal connection and considering the perfect form.Jason Christou is a creator/writer/director who tells stories infused by his Greek-Cypriot and Austrian/Slovenian descent across film, TV, do…

We explore how music can inspire the filmmaking process.This episode's guest is Eva Otsing, an Estonian born and raised visual artist and filmmaker. Eva spoke to us about her path into filmmaking and how music greatly inspires her work. We chat about her recent documentary CONFLUENCE which she directed, shot and edited, which takes an intimate look…

This episode is for those interested in creating visual art for games.Our next guest on Inside ACMI X is concept Artist Zahraa Al Zubaydi who is currently working on Pixellated The Game, about a cyborg child who finds a way to connect to two opposing worlds she belongs with, in a universe of different dimensions drawn in different styles. We spoke …

This episode is for anyone fascinated by celebrity culture.Sarah Scales is a PhD Candidate at Swinburne University researching the theory of parasocial relationships and breakups and the negotiation process fans experience following a celebrity scandal.The cinema is her greatest passion in life, and she is fascinated by why and how audiences engage…

This episode is for deep thinking comedy lovers.Our guest is Emile Zile, an artist, filmmaker and performer who talks to us about his darkly comic practice – the critical re-use and re-encoding of media broadcasts, communication protocols and online platforms. His work reflects a distributed humanity, a yearning for transcendence and the limits of …

For our season finale, we interview new-media artist, PHD candidate and Lecturer at RMIT University, Tyler Payne.Tyler's work focuses on the genre of self-portraiture in photography and video to investigate womens' embodiment through the lens of gendered advertising. She interrogates the impact that social media platforms such as Instagram have on …

This episode is for creatives juggling multiple passions.Meet our next guest on Inside ACMI X, Jacob Leaney, who has found a way to make music and games by combining the two.Jacob is the founder of Things for Humans, the pop-music video game studio behind Video World. In this episode, Jacob shares his experience as a game developer, songwriter and …

In this episode of Inside ACMI X, we talk to resident Julian Wilton, Creative Director at Massive Monster Games Studio, about his experience making games with a focus on their new game, Cult of the Lamb, soon to be released.Australian Game Developer Award winner Julian Wilton is an animator, illustrator, digital designer. He shipped his first conso…

Writer, director and star of 'The Drover's Wife: The Legend of MollyJohnson', Leah Purcell, spoke to us about her thoroughly researched, Blak feminist retelling of Henry Lawson's classic text.Read the full transcript of the talk and an introduction to the film by Bryan Andyhttps://www.acmi.net.au/stories-and-ideas/leah-purcell-on-reclaiming-the-dro…

This week on Inside ACMI X, we’re talking to Emma Parker and Chris Leaver from experiential training company Isonomic, to explore how they’re using Mixed Reality technologies to upskill the Australian workforce.Isonomic is a cutting edge immersive Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality company made up of talented developers, game designers and 3D art…

In this episode, we invited filmmaker, author and co-founder of Lean Filmmaking Kylie Eddy to discuss how she has re-imagined the development, production and distribution of independent films – and how she is challenging conventional wisdom with new ways of working.Last year, Kylie and her collaborator and brother David Eddy released their new book…

This fortnight, we're talking to writer and narrative designer, and ACMI X resident, Alexander Swords. Alexander made the switch from writing for film to writing for videogames, and he now advocates for the power of interactive narrative and the need for diverse future storytellers. His work explores emotional games, games for change and the adapta…

In this episode, we discuss mentorship and storytelling in the screen industry with Denise Eriksen, co-founder of Media Mentors. Using her wealth of experience and knowledge of all things broadcasting, Denise helps creative practitioners find their way into the industry.About Denise EriksenDenise has worked as a Journalist, Producer and Executive P…

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, VR and AR artist Marc-O-Matic began exploring the Crypto Art and NFT space, expanding his work into blockchain and metaverse platforms and eventually creating virtual worlds, animated artworks and digital wearables for an emerging decentralised economy. Two years on his work has earned over $1 million …

COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCEIs Australian press freedom an endangered species? What can be done to prevent the media being portrayed as the enemy of the people?Australia has some of the most draconian anti-media laws of all Western countries. Police raids on journalists, national security laws that criminalise journalistic activities, attacks on whistle…

CRAFTMeet the key people behind hit ABC shows that have delivered real world impact, and find out what’s next in 2020.Commissioning distinctive TV that has a real-world impact on Australians and their communities is a major goal of ABC’s Factual and Documentary teams. The ABC has been leading the way with this form of programming through acclaimed …

CRAFTLeading factual producers reveal how they tackled projects of scale … and scale doesn’t always mean big budget. Leading factual producers discuss and demystify the oft-used term ‘scale’.From giant crews, fixed rigs and far-flung locations, to leading a tiny team shooting across a long timeframe – scale calls for precise decision making in the …

CRAFTDirector Jen Peedom discusses her story-focused approach to documentary writing, from pre-production through to editing.What does it mean to ‘write’ a documentary?For BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Jennifer Peedom (Sherpa, Mountain), writing — and re-writing — defines each step of the filmmaking process. Emphasising the difference between covering …

BUSINESSThree major international cable networks discuss what worked in 2019, what's coming in 2020 and what they're looking for now.Discovery International, A+E, and ESPN – three heavyweight international cable networks discuss their big successes from 2019, what exciting projects they have in the pipeline, and what they are looking for from produ…

COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCEMeet the producer and creative director at the heart of one of the world's most enduring and celebrated documentary collectives.For over 50 years, Gordon Quinn and Kartemquin Films have been at the forefront of documentary making in the US, not only embracing but also epitomising collaborative practices, championing new voice…

CRAFTEmmy-Award nominated Director S. Leo Chiang takes a deep dive into finding and developing complex documentary characters.In this craft session, Emmy-Award nominated Director S. Leo Chiang discusses the art of finding and unravelling multifaceted characters who share a common sense of idealism against the odds. Films such as Our Time Machine an…

CRAFTJohn Smithson discusses the creative challenges in crafting story in his new true-crime series I, Sniper.High-end crime serials have become the pinnacle of factual, and the rise of streaming services offer an enticing opportunity with the budgets and the time to enable some serious creativity.For four years Arrow Pictures, the new label of Cre…

CRAFTBAFTA award-winner Ninder Billing shares her insights on how to turn an idea into irresistible factual content.In conversation with Ninder Billing promises to be a fascinating journey through the sometimes unforgiving landscape of factual television with one of Britain’s most respected and innovative television executives. From prime-time fact…

INNOVATIONJoin Marshmallow Laser Feast’s Robin McNicholas as he sheds light on their multi-sensory experiences at the intersection of science, technology, art and nature.What does it mean to experience tree-time? How do animals see the world? How does our breath connect us to the plant world?In this session Robin McNicholas, creative director of Ma…

We all have muya, the essence or aura of who we are. It's what makes you you.Door ACMI

Hunter Page-Lochard tells us about the person who is the conduit between the Dreaming and this world: The Cleverman.Written by Ryan Griffen.Republished with permission from Triple J & ABC.Door ACMI

Join artists Gabrielle De Vietri, Hanna Brontë and Eugenia Lim to talk video art and challenging provocations in the spheres of identity, immigration, race, nationalism and politics.From exploring issues of gender and racial identity through the lens of hip-hop aesthetics to deconstructing the nature of globalisation and economics through video and…

Alice was first brought to life by Lewis Carroll, but she's sparked imaginations and been immortalised on screen many times since.Join film critic and author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas in conversation with Dr Michelle Smith (Monash University) and Dr Dan Golding (Swinburne University of Technology) as they discuss these 'electric' Alices and the uni…

With each technological advancement, from early documentaries to social issue games and immersive VR, we've heard the promise of being able to step into alternate perspectives, to feel and share and experience a more complex type of understanding. But are these supposed "empathy machines" distancing us from true empathy and closer to voyeurism?In t…

How does a museum collect WeChat? Or show a laptop that was destroyed by security agencies because it held government secrets leaked by whistleblowers?How could a museum collect computer viruses, or use source code to reveal decisions made by designers when a product was being made?Digital design, game design and media design are all important aspe…

Video games can transport players into ethereal experiences, create unique communities and become a medium for interactive and experimental art.Join game designer and curator Chad Toprak (Freeplay), experimental games designers Michael Samyn and Auriea Harvey (Tale of Tales) and cultural curator Zuraida Buter (Zo-ii) for a deep dive into beautiful,…

There are innumerable theories of Alice, Wonderland and the characters she meets along the way.Was Lewis Carroll inspired by hallucinogens? Reacting to new maths standards? Or having a personal identity crisis?Perhaps the way we see the text tells us as much as our ourselves as it does about the enigmatic author.Join us for a lively dissection of t…

Decolonising the Australian film industry and how First Nations people want to be portrayed are the current debates with Aboriginal and Torres Strait actors, directors and producers. Join our host Leila Gurruwiwi (from Marngrook Football Show) along with guest panelists; award winning author Uncle Bruce Pascoe, playwright and filmmaker Tracey Rigne…

Did you know that twenty percent of Australians live with disability? You probably wouldn't guess that from our media.But things are gradually improving. In 2018, more people with disability and appearance diversity are writing and starring in TV and film, influencing on social media and getting opportunities as brand ambassadors. Young people toda…

In an ever-changing media landscape, and with audiences savvy and cynical about advertising, brands are looking for more subtle ways to draw their customers in. Enter the documentary filmmaker. Does this offer an exciting new source of finance for documentary or is it a sell out? Is it still possible to make authentic stories within this form? Who …

How do we build stronger alliances and create impact campaigns that engage audiences on issues, to create lasting change?The phenomenal rise of documentary impact campaigns in recent years, following the success of Good Pitch Australia and the growing field of expertise, means we now have a global community of impact producers and a rich library of…

Robert Fernandez has been producing award-winning documentaries and commercials for over 25 years - yet he still loves getting his hands dirty on budget spreadsheets 'I love the numbers'. Working with Errol Morris since The Fog of War, Fernandez recently delivered their biggest project to-date: the Netflix series Wormwood. With no precedent for its…

Interactive digital narratives, fully-immersive VR, open source gaming, robots writing novels – what does the future of storytelling look like? What do emerging technological advances mean for writers and artists creating work in the digital era?Four artists at the forefront of innovation in digital storytelling kicked off Digital Writers' Festival…

This talk celebrated International Women’s Day with local filmmakers telling powerful and revealing stories. Filmmakers Sari Braithwaite, Chloe Brugale and Santilla Chingaipe were in conversation with Eloise Ross about their craft and processes, key collaborations and career pathways.About the speakersSantilla Chingaipe is an award-winning journali…

From the surface of the sun to the depths of the prehistoric seas and the earth's orbit, VR continues to open portals onto worlds we could never physically inhabit. What potential does this technology hold for expanding the realms of human experience?Erth's Scott Wright (Prehistoric VR), artist Jessie Hughes (Soul Of Sol – La Palma) and astrophysic…

From the Marvel and DC cinematic universes to small screen caped-crusaders and vigilantes, superheroes are more popular than ever. But how do superheroes reflect our place and power within society?Whether it’s symbolic representations of asylum seekers and First Nations people on Cleverman, Jessica Jones battling PTSD or The Watchmen exploring the …