About the Exhibition

Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema examines the global impact and lasting influence of the science fiction subgenre cyberpunk on cinema culture. Featuring an immersive media installation and an exclusive selection of key production materials and props, the exhibition highlights cyberpunk’s 20th-century origins and the new, global directions it has taken in the 21st century. 

At the exhibition’s core is an immersive multiscreen media installation that showcases cyberpunk worlds, sights, and sounds. With a voice-over scripted by writer-director Alex Rivera, the montage explores themes and visual motifs of cyberpunk and futurist cinema. It spotlights canonical cyberpunk films like The Matrix (USA, 1999), early influences such as Blade Runner  (USA, 1982), and foundational animated features like Ghost in the Shell (Japan, 1995), as well as films presenting ideas of Afrofuturism (Neptune Frost, Rwanda/USA, 2021), Latinxfuturism (Alita: Battle Angel, USA, 2019), and Indigenous Futurism (Night Raiders, Canada/New Zealand, 2021).

In the exhibition’s two-story Hurd gallery, discover 18 reproductions of iconic cyberpunk movie posters, Dan Shor’s Ram costume from Tron (USA, 1982) never before seen by the public, 13 unique and original production props, the Vid-Phon and Vid-Phon booth from Blade Runner, concept art from such celebrated cyberpunk films as Blade Runner, Tron, and Night Raiders, and more.

From the Academy Museum’s lobby, step into a cyberpunk landscape and be transported to a world inspired by the neon-drenched, rain-slicked streets of the Blade Runner universe with our Cyberpunk: A Virtual Production Experience, a mixed-reality (MR) experience. There, you will learn how cutting-edge technologies are used to create science fiction’s most compelling dystopian worlds. 

After experiencing the exhibition and MR experience, stay for screenings that explore cyberpunk’s vivid future worlds in Cyberpunk: Envisioning Possible Futures Through Cinema – Encore Presentations, a limited film series running from January 2 to May 30, 2025, included with the purchase of a general admission ticket. Through rebellious characters and sharp social commentary, discover how these films challenge power structures, highlight marginalized perspectives, and reimagine more liberated futures.