Melbourne Cinémathèque
Pamphlet Design / Digital Preview Displays / Street Banner
Client: Melbourne Cinémathèque & ACMI
Industry: Arts & Cultural Heritage
Services: Cinema Exhibition
Year: 2023
(Concept project — not commissioned by or affiliated with the Melbourne Cinémathèque or ACMI.)
Brief
Create a suite of promotional assets for Melbourne Cinémathèque's 2024 screening program at ACMI, including a festival poster, digital advertising, and a printed program guide. The visual identity needed to celebrate a curated collection of classic and independent films while appealing to audiences drawn to cinema history, discovery, and alternative film culture.
Process
The design direction emerged from the nostalgic and enigmatic nature of the screening program. A mood board was developed exploring vintage film posters, obscured imagery, and compositions that reveal only fragments of a subject, creating intrigue and encouraging closer inspection.
This approach informed a visual system built around concealment and revelation. Typography and imagery were intentionally interrupted by overlapping shapes, while torn paper effects and cropped film stills focused attention on the eyes of actors and directors. Grain textures, monochromatic imagery, and archival references were used throughout to evoke the era of the films being screened and reinforce the festival's connection to cinema history.
Outcome
The final identity captures Melbourne Cinémathèque as both a celebration of film history and a platform for cinematic discovery. Black and white film stills, layered textures, and fragmented compositions create a sense of mystery that reflects the lesser-known and independent nature of many films within the program. A bold pink palette provides contrast and visual impact, while recurring references to the eye reinforce cinema as a distinctly visual experience. Applied across posters, digital assets, and the printed screening guide, the identity balances nostalgia with contemporary graphic expression.
