A film society is a membership-based

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises * ...

where people can watch screenings of films which would otherwise not be shown in mainstream

cinemas A movie theater (American English) or cinema (Commonwealth English), also known as a movie house, cinema hall, picture house, picture theater, the movies, the pictures, or simply theater, is a business that contains auditoriums for viewing fi ...

. In Spain, Ireland and Italy, they are known as "cineclubs", and in Germany they are known as "filmclubs". They usually have an educational aim, introducing new audiences to different audiovisual works through an organized and prepared program of screenings. Editorial output reinforces the work of these organisations, as they produce hand-programmes, brochures, schedules, information sheets, and even essays, supporting the significance of their exhibitions. A common feature that may characterize a film society screening is that they begin with an introduction of the film to the audience, and end with the promotion of a

discussion Conversation is interactive communication between two or more people. The development of conversational skills and etiquette is an important part of socialization. The development of conversational skills in a new language is a frequent focus ...

about the film, where assistants, organizers and sometimes the

filmmakers Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screenwritin ...

themselves, exchange their views. There are networks in many different

countries A country is a distinct part of the Earth, world, such as a state (polity), state, nation, or other polity, political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, List of states with limited r ...

, and these are organized into federations, councils, collectives, and local

networks Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematics ...

. Famous film societies include

Amos Vogel Amos Vogel ( Vogelbaum; April 18, 1921 – April 24, 2012) was a New York City cineaste and curator. Biography Vogel was born in Vienna, Austria. He fled Austria with his parents after the Nazi '' Anschluß'' in 1938 and at first studied animal h ...

Cinema 16 Cinema 16 was a New York City–based film society founded by Amos Vogel. From 1947 to 1963, he and his wife, Marcia, ran the most successful and influential membership film society in North American history, at its height boasting 7000 members. ...

Cinémathèque Française A cinematheque is an archive of films and film-related objects with an exhibition venue. Similarly to a book library (bibliothèque in French), a cinematheque is responsible for preserving and making available to the public film heritage. Typically ...

, and the

Film Society of Lincoln Center Film at Lincoln Center (FLC), previously known as the Film Society of Lincoln Center (FSLC) until 2019,Aridi, Sara (April 28, 2019).. ''The New York Times''. nytimes.com. Retrieved April 29, 2019. is a nonprofit organization based in New York Cit ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

International

The film society movement originated in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in the time between the two world wars (see below). The international body for film societies is the International Federation of Film Societies (IFFS). This international association was set up in 1947 in

Cannes Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...

(

) among groups of film societies in countries throughout the world and this association is called Fédération Internationale des Ciné-Clubs (F.I.C.C.).

Australia

Founded in 1946, the Hobart Film Society is the oldest continually operating film society in Australia. The

Melbourne Cinematheque Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

began as the Melbourne University Film Society (MUFS) in 1948 and changed its name to Cinémathèque in 1984. The national body for film societies in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

is the Australian Council of Film Societies (ACOFS) was established in 1949. Notable members of the Australian "film society movement" include

Ian Klava Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, which is derived from the Hebrew given name (Yohanan, ') and corresponds to the English name John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename ''Iain''. This name is a popu ...

David Stratton David James Stratton (born 1939) is an English-Australian film critic and historian. He has also worked as a journalist, interviewer, educator, television personality, and producer. His career as a film critic, writer, and educator in Austral ...

Michael Thornhill Michael Thornhill (29 March 1941 – 22 January 2022) was a film producer, screenwriter, and director. Career Thornhill had a background in freelance journalism and publishing including working as a film critic. He was a member of the WEA Fi ...

Frank Moorhouse Frank Thomas Moorhouse (21 December 1938 – 26 June 2022) was an Australian writer who won major national prizes for the short story, the novel, the essay and for script writing. His work has been published in the United Kingdom, France and t ...

, Ken Quinnell and

John Flaus John Flaus is an Australian actor. Career Flaus began acting in 1969 when he was on the set of the short film ''The American Poet's Visit'', directed by Michael Thornhill. Flaus was there to observe the set, but Thornhill had told him to be ...

Bangladesh

Film society movement in Bangladesh was started in 1963. The young generation of the '70s is continuing this society culture. From their effort, there are now quite a few film societies in Bangladesh. The parent organization is

Federation of Film Societies of Bangladesh Federation of Film Societies of Bangladesh (FFSB) is the umbrella organization of film societies in Bangladesh. It began on October 24 in 1973 as a federation for all film societies in Bangladesh. FFSB regularly arranges film screenings, film festi ...

(FFSB). Prominent film societies in Bangladesh are: * Moviyana Film Society *

Dhaka University Film Society Dhaka University Film Society (in short DUFS) is a voluntary organization affiliated with the Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU) at University of Dhaka. It is registered under the Film Societies Act 2011 and a member of Federation of ...

* Chokh Film Society * Jagannath University Film Society * Women's Film Society Bangladesh * Zahir Raihan Film Society * Islamic University Film Society * Ranesh Dasgupta Film Society * Children's Film Society, Bangladesh * Rainbow Film Society * Chalachchitram Film Society * Sylhet Agricultural University Film Society * Chittagong University Film Society * Rajshahi University Film Society * BUET Film Society * CUET Film Society * Brac University Film Society * KHULNA FILM SOCIETY * Barisal University Film society * Daffodil International University Film Society

Canada

The beginnings of Canadian film education may be traced to the relatively late arrival of the film society movement. While the earliest film societies were formed in Paris in 1924 and in London the following year, it was not until 1935 that Donald Buchanan assembled a sufficient number of film enthusiasts to launch the National Film Society of Canada. That organization, largely modelled on the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

, took as its mandate the establishment of a genuine film culture. Within a year, the society opened branches in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

and

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

. After a wartime hiatus, the Canadian film society movement enjoyed what may now be seen as its golden age. The Vancouver branch of the National Film Society, for instance, reformed in 1945-46, and collaborated with the Film Survey Group of the Labor Arts Guild to present an ambitious program of more than sixty classic films to enthusiastic audiences. The National Film Society, renamed the

Canadian Film Institute The Canadian Film Institute (CFI) () involves Canada in the film production, study, appreciation process of film/moving images for cultural and educational purposes. The Canadian Film Institute organizes ongoing public film programming and artist ...

in 1950, became a clearing house for a growing number of societies across Canada. It was soon a victim of its own success as the groups broke away in 1954 to form the Canadian Federation of Film Societies (CFSS). Spearheaded by Dorothy Burritt, CFFS member societies programmed ambitious retrospectives often accompanied by lengthy and erudite program notes.

Colombia

There are a number of active local societies including Pulpmovies and Cinema Solaz.

France

The term "film club" appears for the first time in April 1907 with the creation of 's "Film club." Located at the 5

Montmartre Montmartre ( , , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement of Paris, 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Rive Droite, Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for its a ...

boulevard in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, it is to preserve and place at the disposal of its members all the cinematographic documents and productions existing. It is also equipped with a room of projection. The Italian film theoretician

Ricciotto Canudo Ricciotto Canudo (; 2 January 1877, Gioia del Colle – 10 November 1923, Paris) was an early Italian film theoretician who lived primarily in France. In 1913, he published a bimonthly avant-garde magazine entitled ''Montjoie!'', promoting Cubism ...

who had been living in Paris since 1921 founded one of the first film societies. After the first world war the film director and film critic

Louis Delluc Louis Delluc (; 14 October 1890 – 22 March 1924) was an Impressionist French film director, screenwriter and film critic. Biography Delluc was born in Cadouin in 1890. His family moved to Paris in 1903. After graduating from the university, ...

founded one of the first film societies and the important

film magazine Film periodicals combine discussion of individual films, genres and directors with in-depth considerations of the medium and the conditions of its production and reception. Their articles contrast with film reviewing in newspapers and magazines whi ...

''Cinéa.'' In 1930

Jean Vigo Jean Vigo (; 26 April 1905 – 5 October 1934) was a French film director who helped establish poetic realism in film in the 1930s. His work influenced French New Wave cinema of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Biography Vigo was born to Emi ...

founded the first film club in

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Henri Langlois Henri Langlois (; 13 November 1914 – 13 January 1977) was a French film archivist and cinephile. A pioneer of film preservation, Langlois was an influential figure in the history of cinema. His film screenings in Paris in the 1950s are often ...

and

Georges Franju Georges Franju (; 12 April 1912 – 5 November 1987) was a French filmmaker. He was born in Fougères, Ille-et-Vilaine. Biography Early life Before working in French cinema, Franju held several different jobs. These included working for an ins ...

founded the film society ''Cercle du cinéma'' which became the

Cinémathèque française A cinematheque is an archive of films and film-related objects with an exhibition venue. Similarly to a book library (bibliothèque in French), a cinematheque is responsible for preserving and making available to the public film heritage. Typically ...

in 1936 to show and to preserve old films. After the second world war the movement of ciné-clubs boomed. In 1945 the film society of

Annecy Annecy ( , ; , also ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, regi ...

was founded from which originated the

Annecy International Animated Film Festival The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (, officially abbreviated in English as the Annecy Festival, or simply Annecy) was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of June in the town of Annecy, France. Initially occurring ever ...

. In 1948

André Bazin André Bazin (; 18 April 1918 – 11 November 1958) was a renowned and influential French film critic and film theorist. He started to write about movies in 1943 and was a co-founder of the renowned film magazine '' Cahiers du cinéma'' in 1951 ...

together with Jean-Charles Tacchella, Doniol-Valcroze, Astruc, Claude Mauriac,

René Clément René Clément (; 18 March 1913 – 17 March 1996) was a French film director and screenwriter. He is known for directing the films ''The Battle of the Rails'' (1946), ''Forbidden Games'' (1952), ''Gervaise (film), Gervaise'' (1956), ''Purple No ...

and Pierre Kast founded the avantgarde film society ''Objectif 49''.

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

became its president. This film society became the cradle of the

Nouvelle Vague The New Wave (, ), also called the French New Wave, is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of i ...

. ''Objectif 49'' organized the ''Festival du Film Maudit'' which took place in

Biarritz Biarritz ( , , , ; also spelled ; ) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located from the border with Spain. It is a luxu ...

in 1949.

François Truffaut François Roland Truffaut ( , ; ; 6 February 1932 – 21 October 1984) was a French filmmaker, actor, and critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. He came under the tutelage of film critic Andre Bazin as a ...

has depicted vividly Bazin's engagement in the ciné=club-movement:

"During the first days of our friendship - it was about 1947 - I had the chance of accompanying him at his film presentations and observing him who he projected two short films of Chaplin - first in a Dominican monastery and two days later to the workers in a metal factory in their short break between their lunch and their return to their workbenches. At both occasions he managed to inspire his audience and to draw everybody into the discussion."

The first French film society exclusively for women was founded in the 1970s in

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

. In 2005 the

Musée Dapper Musée Dapper was a French museum specializing in African art. It was opened in May 1986, and closed on 18 June 2017. The Dapper Foundation is still located at the same premises in the 16th arrondissement of Paris at 35 rue Paul Valéry, Paris, F ...

in Paris founded the first film society entirely concentrating on the cinema of Africa, the Caribbean and the African-American diaspora - the occasion being the celebration of 50 years of

African Cinema Cinema of Africa covers both the History of film, history and present of the Filmmaking, making or screening of films on the African continent, and also refers to the persons involved in this form of audiovisual culture. It dates back to the ear ...

. There is a federation of clubs: the .

Germany

The first film clubs developed in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

after 1945 upon the suggestion the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, in order to promote non-political strictly cultural exchange and democratic consciousness. In the 1950s, the decade of the flowering of the film club movement, gave it a wave of reestablishments, also in the

Soviet occupation zone The Soviet occupation zone in Germany ( or , ; ) was an area of Germany that was occupied by the Soviet Union as a communist area, established as a result of the Potsdam Agreement on 2 August 1945. On 7 October 1949 the German Democratic Republ ...

and/or later

German Democratic Republic East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

. The film clubs became either independent

association Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

s or worked under a carrier, which itself

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

and

culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

had used up. From them important impulses for the German film landscape proceeded, for example the establishment of

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theater, cinemas or screening venues, usually annually and in a single city or region. Some film festivals show films outdoors or online. Films may be of recent ...

s as from

International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg The Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival (), often referred to by the German-language initialism IFFMH, is an annual film festival established in 1952 hosted jointly by the cities of Mannheim and Heidelberg in Baden-Württemberg, the ...

.
In the

German Federal Republic BRD ( ; English: FRG/Federal Republic of Germany) is an unofficial abbreviation for the Federal Republic of Germany, informally known in English as West Germany until 1990, and just Germany since reunification. It was occasionally used in the Fede ...

however the number of the film clubs decreased to such an extent that in 1971 the Federal association dissolved. For the 1970s stepped in many places local

to the place of the film clubs. With the collapse of the German Democratic Republic, many East German film clubs lost the financial and organizational basis, succeeded also here unite the step to the local cinema.
There are two national bodies for film societies in Germany who are members of the International Federation of Film Societies, the Bundesverband Jugend und Film e.V., and the Bundesverband kommunale Filmarbeit.

Hungary

In Hungary, there is quite a vivid cine-club life with involving hundreds of viewers and dispute partners week by week... The first Hungarian film club is dated back to 1956, as you can read here:

India

Filmmaker

Satyajit Ray Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, author, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligraphy, calligrapher, and composer. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influ ...

founded the first Indian film society, the

Calcutta Film Society Calcutta Film Society was India’s second film society in the city of Kolkata (then Calcutta), West Bengal, India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by ...

in 1947. In 1959,

Federation of Film Societies of India Federation of Film Societies of India (FFSI) is the umbrella body of film-screening societies in India. FFSI is currently a member of the International Federation of Film Society that has its organisation is an associate member of UNESCO. Histor ...

was formed as a central organization combining the film societies of

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

, Bombay (now

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

), Madras (now Chennai) and Patna. Satyajit Ray was elected president. In Chennai, in 1981 Chennai Film Society was started by serious film buffs and film institute graduates. M. Sivakumar was its founder secretary and Sasikumar was its founder president. It was active for 15 years with screening of international films, conducting film appreciation courses, meeting up with film makers, screening retrospective of masters and anniversary film festival. It ran a film magazine in Tamil called Salanam for five years. With the advent of DVDs, satellite television channels, and many of its society organizers got active in film making, the Chennai film society slowly disappeared. The first film society in Kerala was formed in Trivandrum in 1965. It was formed by the celebrated and award-winning director Adoor Gopalakrishnan. It paved the way for a new Malayalam cinema. https://web.archive.org/web/20130131092225/http://www.cinemaofmalayalam.net/malayalam_his_4.html Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation in Chennai has been conducting an annual international film festival,

Chennai International Film Festival The Chennai International Film Festival (CIFF) is a festival organised in the city of Chennai, India, by a film society, the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation (ICAF), with the support of government of Tamil Nadu, The Government of Tamil Nadu, ...

(CIFF) every year in December- http://www.chennaifilmfest.com, http://www.icaf.in, an annual event since 2003. According to film scholar

Amrit Gangar Amrit Gangar is an Indian film scholar, historian, critic, curator and writer from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. He worked as consultant content developer for the National Museum of Indian Cinema set up by the National Council of Science Museums ...

it is necessary for a member to be at least 18 years old as film societies are allowed to show uncensored films being exempt from censorship laws. yadharthaa is a Film society functioning from 04-12-1978 in Madurai Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu Children Film Society organising Madurai International Children Film Festival from 2004.

Ireland

The Irish Film Theatre operated as a film club in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

from 1977 to 1984. It offered audiences

art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

and international films not usually shown by commercial cinemas, and the venue was unusual in showing uncensored films. Irish censorship law only required films that were shown to the general public to be submitted for censorship, and films screened by clubs were exempt from censor review, and cutting or banning.

New Zealand

The first New Zealand Film Society was set up in 1945. In 2015 the New Zealand Federation of Film Societies represented fourteen regions. The Wellington Film Society is the largest film society in New Zealand. It screens weekly at the Embassy theatre and in 2024 had an average weekly attendance of 537.

Norway

Norwegian film societies are called filmclubs, and their national body is The Norwegian Federation of Film Societies. The first filmclubs were founded at the end of the 1950s in Oslo and Narvik, and since then the film society movement has thrived both in the big cities, and in more rural areas of Norway.

Poland

The national body for film societies in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

is the

Polish Federation of Film Societies Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

(Polska Federacja Dyskusyjnych Klubów Filmowych - PF DKF). Its honorary chairman is

Andrzej Wajda Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the "P ...

Portugal

The national body for film societies for this country is Portuguese Federation of Film Societies, founded in 1978. www.fpcc.pt

Spain

There are two federations of film societies in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

representing

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

and Galicia, the Catalan Federation of Film Societies (Federació Catalana de Cine Clubs) and the Federation of Film Societies of Galiciabr>
(Federación de Cineclubes de Galicia).

Venezuela

Cine Club Monteávila

United Kingdom

The first film society was established in London in 1925 by a group of intellectuals and enthusiasts including

Iris Barry Iris Barry (1895 – 22 December 1969) was a British-American film critic and curator. In the 1920s she helped establish the original London Film Society, and was the first curator of the film department of the Museum of Modern Art, New York City ...

Sidney Bernstein, Baron Bernstein Sidney Lewis Bernstein, Baron Bernstein (30 January 1899 – 5 February 1993) was a British businessman and media executive who was the founding chairman of the London-based Granada plc, Granada Group and the founder of the Manchester-based ITV ...

Adrian Brunel Adrian Brunel (4 September 1892 – 18 February 1958) was an English film director and screenwriter. Brunel's directorial career started in the Silent film, silent era, and reached its peak in the latter half of the 1920s. His surviving work fr ...

Hugh Miller Hugh Miller (10 October 1802 – 23/24 December 1856) was a Scottish geologist, writer and folklorist. Life and work Miller was born in Cromarty, the first of three children of Harriet Wright (''bap''. 1780, ''d''. 1863) and Hugh Miller ...

Walter Mycroft Walter Charles Mycroft (1890 – 14 June 1959) was a British journalist, screenwriter, film producer and director. In the 1920s he was film critic of the London ''Evening Standard'', and a founder of the London Film Society, before joining the f ...

, and

Ivor Montagu Ivor Goldsmid Samuel Montagu (23 April 1904, in Kensington, London – 5 November 1984, in Watford) was an English filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, film critic, writer, table tennis player, and Communist activist and spy in the 1930s. He help ...

, to show films which had been rejected on commercial grounds, most of them European, and films which had been rejected by the censor, most of them from the Soviet Union. It counted among its sponsors George Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells, and numerous members of the Bloomsbury Group. It was simply called the Film Society, but is often referred to as the London Film Society as it was followed by many others in the next fifteen years. These included the

Edinburgh Film Guild The Edinburgh Film Guild (EFG) is a film society based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded in 1929, it is notable as the oldest continuously running film society in the world. Though pre-dated by the original (London) Film Society, founded five years ...

(1929, still in existence) and the Salford Workers Film Society (1930; this became the Manchester & Salford Film Society, still in existence). Its activities came to an end in 1939, though after the war the New London Film Society was something of a successor body. The national body for film societies in the UK is the

British Federation of Film Societies The British Federation of Film Societies (BFFS), which has used the trading name Cinema For All since 2014, is the national organisation for the development and support of the film society and community cinema movement in the United Kingdom. Hi ...

(BFFS). Most university and college students' unions have film societies, including the Warwick Student Cinema at

University of Warwick The University of Warwick ( ; abbreviated as ''Warw.'' in post-nominal letters) is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands and Warwickshire, England. The university was founded in 1965 as part of ...

, the Oxford University Filmmaking Foundation at

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, and one of the country's oldest at

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

. In 2006,

Filmclub Filmclub was an education charity that sets up film clubs in schools and other education and care establishments in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The scheme is free to all state primary and secondary schools in ...

was launched by

Beeban Kidron Beeban Tania Kidron, Baroness Kidron, (born 2 May 1961), is a British politician and a filmmaker. She is an advocate for children's rights in the digital world and has played a role in establishing standards for online safety and privacy across ...

and journalist

Lindsay Mackie Lindsay may refer to: People *Clan Lindsay, a Scottish family clan *Lindsay (name), an English surname and given name, derived from the Scottish clan name; variants include Lindsey, Lyndsay, Linsay, Linsey, Lyndsey, Lyndsy, Lynsay, Lynsey Places ...

to improve schoolchildren's access to film.

United States

"From 1946 until 1954, 'Art in Cinema' presented programs of independent film to large audiences at the San Francisco Museum of Art and at the University of California, Berkeley." Inspired by film projections which

Maya Deren Maya Deren (; born Eleonora Derenkovskaya; ; Amos Vogel Amos Vogel ( Vogelbaum; April 18, 1921 – April 24, 2012) was a New York City cineaste and curator. Biography Vogel was born in Vienna, Austria. He fled Austria with his parents after the Nazi '' Anschluß'' in 1938 and at first studied animal h ...

and his wife founded

in 1947. Other film societies in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

include: *

Armenian Film Society The Armenian Film Society (AFS) is an American film society dedicated to Armenian cinema. History Early years (2015-2022) The organization launched in 2015 with a screening of Atom Egoyan's ''Next of Kin''. Early film screenings included Serge ...

Glendale, California Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

Austin Film Society The Austin Film Society (AFS) is a non-profit film society based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1985 to exhibit independent, experimental, foreign and various other non-mainstream art films, the film society has grown from just film exhibition to fo ...

* CWRU Film Society in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

Central Coast Film Society
in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Columbia Film Society
in Columbia, Maryland * Columbia Film Society in Columbia, South Carolina * Desert Film Society based in Palm Springs, California
Enzian Film Society
in

Maitland, Florida Maitland is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States, part of the Greater Orlando area. The population was 19,543 at the 2020 census. The area's history is exhibited at the Maitland Historical Museum; the city also hosts the ...

based in

* Houston Cinema Arts Society in

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

* North Country Film Society, which represents upstate New York * Park Circle Film Society in North Charleston, South Carolina *

Peoria Riverfront Museum The Peoria Riverfront Museum is a non-profit multidisciplinary museum of art, science, history, and achievement that promotes itself as the only museum of its kind in the United States. It is located on the Illinois river in downtown Peoria, Illi ...

Film Society,

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located on the Illinois River, the city had a population of 113,150 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Ill ...

, Marc Eliot, Resident Curator * Rehoboth Beach Film Society in

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

Tallahassee Film Society Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of and the only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2024, the est ...

* Victoria Film Society in

Victoria, Texas Victoria is a city and the county seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 65,534 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The three counties of the Victoria, Texas metropolitan area, Victoria Metropolitan Statis ...

Doc Films Doc Films, formerly the Documentary Film Group, is a student-operated film society at the University of Chicago. According to a 2007 ''Chicago Tribune'' article, it is "the longest-running collegiate film society in the country" and may be the olde ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

References

Bibliography

*Davis, Ben: Beginnings of the film society movement in the U.S. ''Film & History'' 24 n3/4 (1994): 6-26. * ''Art in Cinema: Documents Toward a History of the Film Society'' (Wide Angle Books), ed. by Scott MacDonald, Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2006, *MacDonald, Scott: ''Cinema 16: Documents Toward a History of the Film Society''. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2003

External links

International Federation of Film Societies

National bodies for film societies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Film Society Cinemas and movie theaters *