The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) is giving Canberrans plenty of reasons to leave the house this winter, with a line-up that spans cult classics, free weekend documentaries, director Q&As and a few big-screen favourites worth revisiting. 

Whether you’re after a punk-rock time capsule, a landmark queer romance, a body-horror classic or something free and low-key for the weekend, Arc Cinema has you covered.  

 

Up Close with Aussie Film Royalty 

The NFSA is bringing the creators into the room, with two special Q&A screenings across late July and early August. 

First up on Thursday 23 July is My Life Without Steve, Gillian Leahy’s award-winning deeply personal essay film exploring the messy aftermath of a breakup. The film explores love, memory and learning to live after loss. Leahy will be there in person for a post-screening Q&A, making this a rare chance to hear from one of Australia’s most distinctive documentary voices. 

Then, on Saturday 1 August, things get a lot louder with Dogs in Space. Starring the late Michael Hutchence, the cult Australian drama drops viewers into Melbourne’s underground music scene in the late 1970s, full of share houses, parties, friendship, excess and post-punk energy. 

Director Richard Lowenstein, who practically defined the visual language of the Australian post-punk and pub rock scene through his music videos for INXS, will be there for a post-screening Q&A. It’s a rare chance to hear from a director who lived and breathed the scene he captured on film. 

 

Cult Classics and Milestones 

If your taste leans more towards the bizarre, circle July 31 on your calendar. 

David Cronenberg’s sci-fi horror classic Scanners is hitting the screen as part of the NFSA’s Cult Classics series with Venus Mantrap. Expect psychic powers, corporate dystopia, body horror and yes, the infamous exploding head scene. Some films simply deserve to be seen with a crowd. 

For something more romantic and literary, Desert Hearts screens on Sunday 26 July as part of Book Club at the NFSA. 

The 1985 film, adapted from Jane Rule’s novel Desert of the Heart, follows an unexpected romance in 1950s Nevada and remains a landmark of lesbian cinema. The screening will be followed by a discussion about the adaptation. 

 

Free Weekend Docos and Big Screen News 

If you’re looking for a low-key weekend activity that won’t blow your budget, the NFSA’s Drop-in Docos are running every Saturday and Sunday afternoon. They’re completely free and cover everything from the early, wild days of ANU to pioneering Australian women, astronomy, and the unique sounds of the Australian landscape. 

Oh, and if you needed another reason to love the NFSA, they’ve just announced a massive partnership with Stan. From now on, every Stan Original produced since 2015 is being archived in the national collection. That means hundreds of hours of home-grown streaming content are being preserved for future generations. 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: 

Location: National Film and Sound Archive, McCoy Circuit, Acton 
Dates/Times: Screenings from 23 July to 1 August 2026 
Ticketing/Booking: Free for Drop-in Docos; tickets from $16.50 to $22 (+ booking fee) for Arc Cinema screenings

Find out more HERE