Louis Delluc and Ricciotto Canudo created the first ciné-club, according to Britannica, to share their enthusiasm and analysis for film. Then in 1925, The Film Society of London came about, which was held by esteemed figures like George Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, John Maynard Keyes, and others who wanted to bring more exposure to French, German, and Soviet movies. The movement of creating film societies spread rapidly.
What is a film society?
A film society is a non-profit organization that provides a film collection to be seen and discussed. If you want to start your own film where you can show an index of movies and have discussions, here are ways to get there.
Film clubs are the best place for film enthusiasts and aspiring filmmakers. By teaching and watching films from a variety of different filmmakers, students, patrons, and community members can learn about various film techniques and themes. But, film societies can’t be run on their own. Add at least four people on staff in order to form a committee.
What leadership roles does your film society need?
The president will guide the meetings, organize tasks, and make sure everyone does what they’re supposed to do. The secretary will help plan events and create any documents for written communication. The treasurer is responsible for the society’s finances. There are other positions like the vice president, someone to choose the films, a publicity officer, someone to help with printing and distribution, and more. The more people willing to help, the more successful your film society will be.
What kind of films will your film society watch and discuss?
The next thing you need to do is think about what kind of group you want to be in. You could want to show only classic movies, a mix of the old and the new, or stick with a genre. There are also clubs that focus on showing film programming from different countries. The Hellenic Film Society is dedicated to showing Greek films throughout the United States. See if you can show movies that you feel audiences haven’t seen a lot of compared to what is normally shown in theaters and on television. You can contact film distributors to order films from them that you can get at discounted rates for film societies. Just remember that you need a public viewing license to obtain these films.
What rules will you establish for your film society?
Now, it’s time to set some rules. If you want your film society to be taken seriously and that everyone is doing their job as a member and officers, you can write a constitution. This important document sets the rules that everyone needs to abide by to maintain their membership.
Where will you host your film society meetings?
Film societies need to have a venue so everyone knows where to meet. You can create a film club at a library, community center, school, and even movie theaters. Try to find a place where you can fill up as many seats as possible with a projection box. Think about how much this venue would cost to hold the club in, availability, comfort, lighting, air-conditioning, and more.
Getting the right equipment is important. Like it was mentioned before, it can be helpful to find a venue that already has a projector set up like an operating cinema. But of course, you would have to speak to the operator to support your film society. If projectors and screens are not available at your selected venue, you’ll have to buy them yourself. You’ll need one or two 16mm film projectors, a screen, and a loudspeaker.
If you’re using a DVD collection for your film screenings, you’ll need a DVD player, video projector, a stereo amplifier, a screen, and at least two loudspeakers. You can see if you can find new equipment to buy online, used equipment in good condition, or what you can rent.
What should you consider for your film society's budget?
Whatever membership fee you set for your film society, it should cover the costs of film hire, DVD purchases and rights, venue hire, printing and advertising, equipment, etc. The main source of finance is membership fees. Talk to your officers to see based on your budget what to charge and if it’s reasonable. Memberships can be offered on a yearly, six-month, or three-month basis. Members can invite guests, but coming to three consecutive screenings would mean they would have to pay for a membership.
Other ways to raise money can be from government grants, corporate sponsorships, and through advertising. You can also sell snacks and drinks to help raise money.
When you advertise your film society, make sure your printing says this is a non-profit organization and members only. Over the next three or six months, create a program that lists the films that will be shown in the club. Let the advertisements state that memberships will be available at the screenings, new members are always welcomed, and mention how much the membership fees will be.
What do you need for your film society's first meeting?
Now that you’ve sorted out officers, venue, equipment, and budget, it’s time to hold your first meeting and screening. You can make the first screening free so that everyone can get a taste of what your film society is like. Flyers can be posted outside of film classes or film festivals held in your area.
Before the movie starts, make people welcome and give a little introduction speech about the film you’re showing. Talk about the aims of your society, the types of films you show, and membership fees, and make the selection process for officers and new members. The last thing everyone has to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy your first screening at your established film society.