Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema
January 2–February 15, 2025
Cyberpunk, a subgenre of science fiction, first appeared in the early 1980s and uniquely captured the anxieties of that decade. Featuring near-future scenarios set in worlds that resemble our own, cyberpunk stories juxtapose technological advances with social upheaval, ecological crisis, and urban decay. Central to these narratives are rebellious characters who fight against corrupt political systems, technology gone haywire, and global mega-corporations. Many draw from a vast body of 20th-century literature, comics, and manga, and the familiar yet fantastic settings of cyberpunk lend themselves to social commentary. Some filmmakers featured in this series use cyberpunk themes to center the perspectives of marginalized peoples and imagine more liberated futures. In doing so, they criticize existing inequalities and power structures, subverting legacies of oppression, colonization, and displacement.
This series was programmed to accompany the museum’s exhibition Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema.
Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema is curated by Doris Berger, vice president of curatorial affairs, with Nicholas Barlow and Emily Rauber Rodriguez, assistant curators, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Programmed by K.J. Relth-Miller.
Notes by Patrick Lowry and K.J. Relth-Miller adapted from Cyberpunk exhibition texts.
Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema is among more than 70 exhibitions and programs presented as part of PST ART. PST ART: Art & Science Collide, the latest edition of this landmark regional event, explores the intersections of art and science, both past and present. PST ART is presented by Getty. For more information about PST ART: Art & Science Collide, please visit pst.art. Generous support also provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Program in Public Understanding of Science and Technology and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture. Additional support provided by Emma Koss. The Cyberpunk Mixed Reality Experience is made possible thanks to Magnopus as well as Epic Games, Metastage, and Alcon Interactive Group. Academy Museum Digital Engagement Platform sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Technology solutions generously provided by Christie®.
Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation
