Draft:Australian Cinémathèque

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The Australian Cinémathèque, located within the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in Brisbane, is Australia's premier institution dedicated to film and the moving image. The Gallery’s Cinémathèque presents retrospective and thematic film programs and exhibitions to showcase the work of influential filmmakers and artists, exploring the important lines of influence between the moving image and other areas of visual culture. The Australian Cinémathèque is an Associate Member of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), an organisation of the world's leading film archives dedicated to the preservation and exhibition of film.

The development of the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) and the Australian Cinémathèque in Brisbane was a significant cultural and political undertaking, driven by the Queensland Government's vision to enhance the state's cultural infrastructure and provide a world-class venue for contemporary art and film.

In 1996, QAG began collecting video art, recognizing its growing importance in contemporary art practice^[1]. This collection initiative laid the foundation for the Australian Cinémathèque, which aimed to bridge the gap between old and new moving-image media through retrospective and thematic screening programs.

In the mid-1990s the Queensland Government earmarked land at Kurilpa Point for the future expansion of the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG). This laid the groundwork for what would become the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), envisioned as a space to not only showcase contemporary art but also house dedicated screens for curated cinema content. The impetus for a gallery of modern art was a result of the continued success of the Queensland Art Gallery in collecting and exhibiting contemporary artworks. In particular, the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, which was first held in 1993, had developed to be internationally recognised as a major event in the exhibition of Asia–Pacific art.

The project to create GOMA was championed by the Queensland Government in the early 2000s, under the leadership of Premier Peter Beattie.The government's commitment to the arts was part of a broader strategy to position Queensland as a cultural and creative hub, fostering tourism, economic growth, and community engagement^[2]. The concept of the Australian Cinémathèque emerged from these discussions and planning initiatives. Global models such as California’s Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, the Pompidou Centre, the American Cinémathèque in Los Angeles, and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis influenced the planning process^[3], demonstrating the potential of integrated screen programming and its cultural significance.

The Queensland Government provided substantial funding for the development of GOMA, allocating $260 million out of the 1999 state budget for the project.^[4] This investment covered the design, construction, and fit-out of the new gallery, as well as the establishment of the Australian Cinémathèque within GOMA. The funding was part of the government's broader capital works program, aimed at delivering major infrastructure projects that would benefit the community and stimulate the economy.^[5]

In May 2000, Premier Peter Beattie and Arts Minister Matt Foley announced an international design competition for a new Gallery of Modern Art.^[6] More than 170 submissions from 24 countries were received^[7]. In July 2002, Sydney-based firm Architectus, in association with Davenport Campbell and Partners, were announced as the winners of the architectural competition.^[8] This facility would include the Cinémathèque a core feature, production facilities, and a media gallery, setting the stage for a new type of institution that integrated cinema into an art museum context.^[9]

The project had a substantial economic impact, with over 12,000 jobs created during the three-year construction period^[7]. Approximately 72 percent of the project contracts were awarded to Queensland-based contractors, reflecting the local economic benefits of the redevelopment. The construction of the Cinémathèque, alongside other elements of the Queensland Cultural Centre marked a significant milestone in the state's cultural development and has evolved has evolved into the arts and culture centrepiece of the state.^[10]

The Australian Cinémathèque was officially launched in 2005^[11], a year before GOMA's official opening, with the program 'Kiss of the Beast'. This inaugural program explored the racial, gender, and aesthetic associations of man-apes and near-human monsters in film and art, setting a precedent for future exhibitions that would intertwine screen and visual arts^[12].

On December 2, 2006^[13], both GOMA and the refurbished Queensland Art Gallery were inaugurated by the 5th Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT5), highlighting contemporary art from the Asia-Pacific region with a mix of visual art, cinema, and performance.^[14] This exhibition showcased the Cinémathèque's role in presenting a rich mix of visual media, further establishing its importance within the cultural precinct and has since played a unique role in hosting numerous notable film events and exhibitions.

This Wurlitzer Pipe Organ’s original home was in Brisbane’s Regent Theatre which opened on 8 November 1929, installed on an electric lift to the left of the orchestra pit. At a cost reported in the press of £25–30,000, it was the last instrument of its type in Australia and remained at the Regent until 1964^[15].

In 1979, the Regent Theatre underwent substantial modifications, with its auditorium being demolished and converted into a four-screen complex by Australian Cinema chain Hoyts^[16]. Despite these changes, the theatre's exterior and main foyers were preserved and are now listed as a heritage site. The Wurlitzer Organ was removed in 1964 and remained in private ownership in New South Wales until it was returned to Queensland where it underwent restoration and was installed in the Australian Cinémathèque when GOMA opened in December 2006^[17].

Rechristened in early 2007, the Wurlitzer Organ at the Australian Cinémathèque has remained largely unchanged and continues to serve as a notable element of Queensland’s cultural heritage. It is utilized for accompanying classic silent films, providing an immersive audio experience through its powerful pipes, which are positioned beneath the seating area.

The Australian Cinémathèque has significantly impacted the cultural landscape by serving as a dynamic platform for the intersection of visual art and cinema. By curating innovative film programs and exhibitions, the Cinémathèque has expanded the scope of contemporary art presentations at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), fostering a deeper appreciation for both cinematic and visual art forms, contributing to a broader understanding of global artistic practices and solidifying the Cinémathèque's role as a crucial player in Australia's art and cultural sectors.

The Australian Cinematheque is an integral component of GOMA's architecture, positioned as the southern ‘black box’ in contrast to the river-facing ‘white box’ of the exhibition halls. It features Cinema A, which has a capacity of 220 seats, and Cinema B, which has 110 retractable seats^[3]. The Cinémathèque is equipped with advanced projection technollogy, making the facility one of the few in Australia capable of screening a full range of movie media, including 35mm and 16mm celluloid film, tape and various digital file formats including facilities for screening 35mm and 16mm films, as well as digital formats^[18]. The sound systems are designed to provide high-fidelity audio, with an emphasis on acoustics to ensure consistent sound quality throughout the screening rooms. This setup enables the Cinémathèque to screen a variety of films, ranging from rare archival prints to contemporary digital cinema, attracting cinephiles interested in viewing iconic films in their original analogue format as intended by their creators.

The Cinémathèque's programming includes exhibitions of major film and video works, movements, and genres, often presented alongside other visual arts media and digital culture. Notable programming includes ‘Breathless: French New Wave turns 50,’ a comprehensive survey of the French Nouvelle Vague movement of the 1950s and 60s.^[19] In 2008, the Cinematheque presented its first genre program, ‘Be Afraid: Fear in North American Cinema,’ which explored 50 years of horror films from Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) to Cloverfield (2008).^[20] Subsequent genre programs have included comic book adaptations (‘Drawn to Screen’)^[21], Asian martial arts (‘Action Hong Kong Style’)^[22], frontier gun slinging (‘The Western’)^[23], the Italian thriller-horror (‘Gothic, Giallo, Gore’).^[24]