Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

About

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is a film museum that opened in 2021 located in Los Angeles, California, United States on Miracle Mile. The first large-scale museum of its kind in the United States, it houses part of the Academy Collection, the largest film-related collection in the world, with more than 52 million objects from notable films, and is dedicated to the arts, history, science, and artists of moviemaking and the film industry. The museum is located in the historic May Company Building at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, part of Museum Row on the Miracle Mile. It is overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).

Originally expected to open in 2020, its completion and opening was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The museum eventually opened to selected celebrity guests on September 25, 2021, and to the public on September 30. The museum's first temporary exhibition was dedicated to the legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki, offering an extensive display of his work and celebrating his remarkable contributions to cinema. In April 2020, the museum opened the exhibition featuring costumes from Debbie Reynolds, and her costume conservation studio. Soon after its opening in September 2021, the museum attracted criticism for a perceived lack of focus on Jewish industry pioneers such as Carl Laemmle and Jack Warner, as first reported by Sharon Rosen Leib in The Forward. Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt expressed his disappointment, stating "I would've hoped that any honest historical assessment of the motion picture industry — its origins, its development, its growth — would include the role that Jews played in building the industry from the ground up". Rolling Stone, Bill Maher and Bari Weiss also raised the issue. In January 2022, the Academy Museum announced plans to create a permanent exhibit dedicated to Jewish industry pioneers. In September 2021 the museum hosted its inaugural gala, which is the major fundraising event that supports its programing, exhibitions and educational initiatives. On July 14, 2022, the museum voluntarily recognized Academy Museum Workers United as the bargaining representative for 160 of its employees.

The design of the museum was overseen by Italian architect Renzo Piano. The exterior of the May Company building, now dedicated as the Saban Building following a $50 million donation from Cheryl and Haim Saban, was refurbished with new limestone, as well as new gold leaf tiles for its corner "cylinder". Inside the Saban Building, the Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby features the Spielberg Family Gallery. Additionally, the Shirley Temple Education Studio is devoted to workshops on filmmaking, and include a collection of items and memorabilia from Shirley Temple's career. A spherical structure was built as an extension of the main Saban Building, connected via skyways, which features the glass-domed Dolby Family Terrace. The museum features two theater halls that are used for film screenings, programming, and other special events; the 945-seat David Geffen Theater in the Sphere, and the smaller, 277-seat Ted Mann Theater in the lower level of the Saban Building.

Academy Museum Gala is conducted every year to raise funds by public display of cinematic experience that includes showing filmmaking process in a raw form, or showing history of cinema. The 2021 Academy Museum Opening Gala honored Haile Gerima and Sophia Loren as well as Academy Museum Campaign Leaders Annette Bening, Bob Iger, and Tom Hanks. The 2022 Academy Museum Gala honored Julia Roberts, Miky Lee, Sir Steve McQueen, and Tilda Swinton. The 2023 Academy Museum Gala honored Meryl Streep, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, and Sofia Coppola and raised $10 million. The 2024 Academy Museum Gala celebrated the acclaimed museum’s third anniversary and honored Academy Award-nominated actor Paul Mescal; Academy Award-winning actress, singer, and dancer Rita Moreno; and Academy Award-winning writer and director Quentin Tarantino. The 2025 Academy Museum Gala honorees were Oscar-winning actress Penélope Cruz, Director Walter Salles, Oscar-winning musician Bruce Springsteen and actor and comedian Bowen Yang.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.