ACMI Stories & Ideas

Relive The Stardom and Celebrity of David Bowie, a two-day multi-discipline symposium we hosted that saw artists, academics and cultural commentators reflect upon the influence of and on David Bowie in rock, pop, film, art, fashion and performance.

Relive The Stardom and Celebrity of David Bowie, a two-day multi-discipline symposium we hosted that saw artists, academics and cultural commentators reflect upon the influence of and on David Bowie in rock, pop, film, art, fashion and performance.

Relive The Stardom and Celebrity of David Bowie, a two-day multi-discipline symposium we hosted that saw artists, academics and cultural commentators reflect upon the influence of and on David Bowie in rock, pop, film, art, fashion and performance.

Relive The Stardom and Celebrity of David Bowie, a two-day multi-discipline symposium we hosted that saw artists, academics and cultural commentators reflect upon the influence of and on David Bowie in rock, pop, film, art, fashion and performance.

Join us for a keynote lecture by artist Julian Rosefeldt as he discusses his practice and pays homage to the beauty of artists’ manifestos, the basis of his new work 'Manifesto', featuring Cate Blanchett. Julian Rosefeldt’s work reflects the artist’s fascination with day-to-day reality and the stereotypes, clichés and mindless repetitions that suffuse popular culture. Rosefeldt is renowned for his...

Join Hong Kong-based curator, researcher, teacher, writer and critic Sam Ho as he explores the history of Hong Kong cinema, outlining the historical, cultural and economic factors that coalesced into an exceptional aesthetics enjoyed and celebrated all over the world. Hong Kong has a unique cinematic history. A tiny city and never a sovereign state, it managed to fashion a film industry comparable...

Emma Beddows is a professional geek. She holds a PhD in transmedia storytelling, popular culture and fans. She is a freelance narrative and media consultant, co-hosts for the pop-culture podcast The Whatcha Show, and works for Swinburne Online where she teaches university students in media and communications. In this podcast Emma Beddows examines how recognisable sci-fi tropes are reflected in, an...

Mel Campbell is a journalist, author and cultural critic who researches and writes about fashion, film and television, books and ideas, advertising and branding, media, and the wonderful, underrated banalities of everyday life. In this podcast Mel Campbell explores how Bowie flagged his changing musical directions through the changing of his costume, how his sartorial choices are tied to the perfo...

'Transparent' is a multilayered story about an LA-based Jewish family, whose patriarch Mort has begun to transition from male to a truer female self, named Maura. More than just a coming out story about Maura’s transitioning, the first season of the series has presented a murky, at times uncomfortable, exploration of family, gender, identity and human connection. Our panel of speakers explore the...

With a film career spanning over 40 years locally and internationally, award-winning Australian film and documentary director Gillian Armstrong shares her top five favourite films of all time.

Visiting artist and writer Tanja Stark examines Bowie’s long-term fascination with Carl Jung, introduces some of Jung’s key ideas and begins an exploration of some intriguing links between the music icon and the Swiss psychiatrist.

From Klaus Nomi to Tally Brown to modern day, Bowie's career has intertwined with cabaret and pop/club sub-cultures, weaving an intricate tapestry of mutual influence. Rock cabaret singer-songwriter Geraldine Quinn explores the contribution of underground scenes and their inherent gender-flux to the Bowie myth, and his influence on practitioners of the genre from the 1970s to today.

Bowie’s sustained narrative of modern anxiety and impending doom has always set him apart in the often feel-good world of rock ’n’ roll as we know it. Starting with the storyboards and video for Bowie’s shelved Diamond Dogs movie project, Michael Dwyer springboards into one of the defining themes of Bowie’s catalogue, one which the man himself once described as his own personal “non-specific naggi...

Actor Wendy Hughes is joined by friends Jill Robb and Lex Marinos in a warm and witty reflection upon her remarkable career. Recorded: 18 Apr 2009.

Director Mark Forstmann and editor Ken Sallows talk about the independently financed feature Monkey Puzzle. Recorded: 8 Nov 2008.

Director Jamie Blanks, writer Everett de Roche and actors John Brumpton and Robert Taylor provide insight into the making of this Aussie thriller. Recorded: 15 Nov 2008.

A no-holds-barred discussion about playing games for a living, writing about them and becoming somewhat famous in the process. Recorded: 10 July 2008.

Even writers go to the movies. And sometimes, when the movie is really, really, good (or really, really bad), they write about them. In this very special edition of Desert Island Flicks, five writers will share their favourite films and the work these films have inspired. Taking the concept of the Top Five film list and turning it on its head, ACMI and the Emerging Writers' Festival are sending no...

As part of the Emerging Writers’ Festival, we hosted a panel exploring over half a decade of Australian television broadcasting with a fascinating look at the ABC. With its history stretching back to 1956, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is an integral part of the Australian television landscape. ACMI and the Emerging Writers' Festival bring together a special panel of writers, critics and...

CEO and co-founder of DreamWorks speaks exclusively about creating, leading and inspiring the world's largest animation studio in this rare one-off Australian event. A must-see for filmmakers, animators, fans and would-be moguls of tomorrow, hosted by Channel 10's Executive General Manager, Russel Howcroft (best known as The Gruen Transfer's advertising media personality). Katzenberg began his car...

Key Australian game industry figures discuss the future of the games industry (Part 1 of 2). Recorded: 28 June 2012

Key Australian game industry figures discuss the future of the games industry (Part 2 of 2). Recorded: 28 June 2012

Does the changing nature of games development really provide new opportunities? Recorded: 28 June 2012

Tim Schafer discusses his creative process and the importance of story in games. Recorded: 29 June 2012

Explore the challenges of creating a cultural framework for exhibiting and programming videogames. Recorded: 28 June 2012