Audiences around the world know and love Heath Ledger as a charismatic movie star who pushed boundaries and created iconic roles.

Now Canberra has a chance to discover Heath’s creative process and deep passion for the film industry and the visual arts, in a unique exhibition at the National Film & Sound Archive, curated in collaboration with his family.

The show features a selection of film costumes and props, personal souvenirs, celebrity portraits and acting awards.

Keep an eye out for the posthumous Oscar he won for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight, the costume from Brokeback Mountain, and the handwritten research journals Heath kept on the acting process.

A program of special screenings and talks will also complement the exhibition, which opens Friday 10 August.