As the premiere program of the Queensland Art Gallery’s Australian Cinémathèque, ‘Kiss of the Beast’ marks the beginning of a major new direction in programming for the Gallery.

Film has been celebrated as an art form around the world since its inception at the end of the nineteenth century. In keeping with the traditional role of a cinémathèque — the first of which opened in Paris in 1936 — the Australian Cinémathèque will collect, conserve, present and interpret film and screen culture. Its art museum context will allow for explorations of the dynamic relationship between film and the visual arts. Its programming will include retrospective and thematic film programs and exhibitions, showcasing the work of influential film-makers and artists.

The Australian Cinémathèque will be the first of its kind in an Australian art museum, and the Cinémathèque’s facilities — including two cinemas and an exhibition gallery — will be located within the Gallery’s second site, the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (QGMA), which will open in November 2006.

Future programs for the Australian Cinémathèque include the curated film program of the ‘Asia–Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art 2006’, which will be QGMA’s major opening exhibition. In 2007 the Cinémathèque will present a curated program of Andy Warhol’s film and video works, as part of Australia’s first major survey exhibition of his work across all media, which is being organised by the Queensland Art Gallery.

Stay in touch with future programming by registering online for Artmail, the Gallery’s free e-bulletin, and indicate your special interest in the Cinémathèque.