ACMI drops four must-see film series this summer

With the year coming to a close, ACMI is looking back on all the defining films of 2025. If there’s a film you might’ve missed (or you’re just a little out of the loop), then this celebratory series is for you. The program pays homage to excellence in acting, writing, design, cinematography and direction – as well as looking beyond box office hits to curate a line-up jam-packed with international and local films. From Ryan Coogler’s genre-defying Sinners to the Berlinale Golden Bear-winning look at cultural memory, Dahomey, and the taut thriller A House of Dynamite, from Academy Award-winner Kathryn Bigelow, there’s something for everyone in this series. Tickets start from $14, with discounts on multi-session passes in case you want to catch them all. Screening will take place between December 27, 2025 and January 21, 2026.

Thiss school holidays, ACMI is serving up a charming program that helps kids explore emotional intelligence through the magic of fantasy films. Each screening comes with a curator-led introduction and a take-home activity kit to keep the creativity flowing long after the credits roll. Expect thoughtful picks that help little ones unpack big feelings – from the imaginative The NeverEnding Story and David Bowie’s goblin-king turn in Labyrinth to the sweet stop-motion adventure Komaneko. Tickets start from $14, with screenings running from December 22, 2025 to January 23, 2026.

Ease into the afternoon at ACMI’s matinee screenings, where you can beat the heat with a sensibly-timed film this summer – because not everyone’s a night owl. The program features cinema from around the world, with Akira Kurosawa’s retelling of one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies in Ran; the award-winning Oslo Trilogy Sex, Love and Dreams; a tale of intersecting lives in Young Mothers; a stirring political portrait of Jacinda Ardern in Prime Minister; and the tearjerking romance starring Paul Mescal, The History of Sound. The daytime-friendly screenings run every Friday to Sunday throughout summer with tickets priced at $9 each. Multi-session passes are available. 

Not so long ago, watching a movie required more than just a click of the remote. Before the days of streaming and mobile phones, you had to drive down to the local video store and stroll the aisles on the hunt for the pick of the night. While this old-school activity is now a thing of the past, ACMI is paying homage to VHS in all its low-res glory with a program dedicated to the lost art. Catch documentaries including Videoheaven, a collage of clips from more than 100 films that examine the video store; Kim’s Video, a tribute to New York City’s most legendary video store; and Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project, where one woman made it her mission to record television for 24 hours a day across 30 years. Cinephiles can get behind Canadian filmmaker Chandler Levack’s debut feature film I Love Movies. The coming-of-age drama follows an awkward teen working at his local suburban video rental store as the era of VHS lives out its last-gasp days. Tickets are $14 each, and the program runs from December 4-22. 

Find the full program here.