Almost fifty years before Steven Spielberg returned to extraterrestrial mysteries in his new film ‘Disclosure Day’ (2026), he gave us one of cinema’s most enduring visions of first contact: not invasion, not destruction, but WONDER.

Join us for the next “Science. Art. Film.” event at the NFSA – National Film and Sound Archive of Australia as we revisit ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ (1977) and explore why this remarkable film continues to shape how we imagine life beyond Earth. At a moment when Spielberg is once again asking audiences what it would mean to discover that we are not alone, ‘Close Encounters’ offers a fascinating opportunity to look back at the film that started the conversation.

Following the screening, we’ll explore questions such as: Why are we so fascinated by aliens? How does music shape our experience of the unknown? Why do stories about extraterrestrial contact so often become stories about communication, misunderstanding and the limits of human knowledge? And what can ‘Close Encounters’ teach us about the role of imagination in science and scientific discovery?

We are delighted to be joined by Professor Ken Lampl – film composer and former student of John Williams (THE John Williams!) and Professor Colin Klein – philosopher of consciousness, AI and human understanding. Don’t miss this event!

17 June, 6pm, Arc Cinema

Book your seats now: https://www.nfsa.gov.au/whats-on/science-art-film-close-encounters-of-the-third-kind-4500