The Story of the Moving Image

COVID-19 Update

Following the latest advice from the Victorian Government, ACMI will remain temporarily closed. Unfortunately, all museum visits and events booked until Thu 17 June inclusive will be cancelled. 

We look forward to welcoming you back to ACMI soon. Stay safe.  

The Story of the Moving Image Online

Missing our centrepiece exhibition already? Discover how screen culture has shaped who we are, how we see ourselves and how the world sees us, with our FREE online experience.

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Journey through the past, present and future of the moving image through interactive experiences, digital innovation and captivating stories.

From the first projections and optical illusions to the birth of film and beyond, moving images have the power to spark imagination, share stories and shape history. Discover how inventors, innovators and artists at the turn of the 20th century wielded light, split time and captured motion, heralding a technological revolution that continues today.

Featuring ancient shadow puppets, Victorian-era magic lanterns, original cameras, iconic costumes, movie sets, sketches, clips and contemporary art, The Story of the Moving Image traverses time, countries and cultures in a mesmerising exploration of an art form that changed the world and illuminated our collective humanity.

Five distinct sections frame the major moments in moving image history, including the origins and future of cinema, production design and the creative process, Australian culture and stories, the rise of videogames, and how screens inform, influence and empower us.

These stages come to life through interactive experiences that let you animate shadows, craft optical toys, experiment with time, assemble film scenes and create soundscapes in a custom Foley studio.

These moments can be collected with the Lens, a free tool that collects your favourite objects, artworks and creations in the exhibition. It also animates the Constellation, connecting what you collected to the cosmos of screen content outside ACMI.