In our country, the first film society. Amateur Cine Society,
was founded on 22 April 1937 in Bombay. In 1943. the Bombay
Film Society was formed, but it was only in 1947 that the movements
could really gain momentum with the advent of the Calcutta Film
Society, that was founded on 13 December. 1959. 25 December
1959 witnessed the birth of a full-fledged Federation of Film
Societies of India from all over India Now it comprises of 250
film societies in the country.
In 1964. Smt Indira Gandhi. who was also the Vice-President
of Federation of Film Societies of India, became the Minister
for Information and Broadcasting Mr. I.K.Gujral was also served
as Treasurer of the Federation of Film Societies of India.
The FFSI is divided into four regions - North. East. West and
South operating from New Delhi, Kolkata. Mumbai and Hyderabad
respectively
The growth has been steady, but infant mortality in this field
is fairly high. During the last five decades hundred of film
societies have been formed, some functioned very well and faded
and some are well established and doing well.
March 01. 1974 gave birth to Hyderabad Film Club at Hyderabad
The Club registered under Societies Registration Act. 1350 on
25-01-1977 vide No 54/1977. The aim is to create a movement
at Hyderabad that will lead to a better appreciation and understanding
of cinema.
The main objectives of the Club:
* To promote the study of the film as an art and a social force.
* To encourage the production of films of artistic value.
* To promote public appreciation of films of artistic value.
* To promote research on cinema.
* To organize and participate in film festivals, lectures, seminars,
conferences, etc. in India and abroad.
Dr. N.Bhagwan Das. the then Chief Secretary of Government of
Andhra Pradesh was elected as the Club's President in 1975.
He rendered able guidance for the growth of the Club till he
relinquished in 1983 for personal reasons.
All the office bearers and members of the Executive Committee
are honorary workers. The Club has been functioning in the twin-cities
as an ambassador of Good Cinema for the past 32 years Particularly
the last 15 years. Hyderabad Film Club has been in the limelight
bringing its members a series of great works of the maters of
cinema.
During its career the Club has introduced the works of Goddard.
Zanussi. Herzog. Chaplin. Ingmar Bergman, Fassbinder, Miklos
Jansco. Reinhard Hauff. Bologini. Wolfgang Peterson. Heinrich
George. Eric Rohmer. Gerard Depardieu. Robert Bresson. Vittoria
Desica. Michelangelo Antonioni. Andrzej Wajda. Akira Kurosawa.
Kieslowski. Marta Meszaros. John Ford. Zanussi. Roman Polanski.
Zoltan Fabri. etc.. from abroad and Satyajit Ray. Bimal Roy.
Gurudutt. V Shantaram. K.L.Saigal. Ritwaik Ghatak. Shyam Benegal.
Mani Kaul. Aravindan. Ginsh Kasaravalli, Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
B.Narsinga Rao (President of Hyderabad Film Club) and others
from India as well with useful literature and seminars on them.
We have also been organizing several country wise/thematic Film
Festivals like the Swiss Film Festival. German Film Festival.
French Film Festival. South African Film Festival, Iranian Film
Festival, Hungarian Film Festival. Israeli Film Festival. Spanish
Film Festival. Japanese Film Festival. British Film Festival,
etc. Number of film personalities from India and abroad visited
Hyderabad Film Club during their film screenings/film festivals.
On the occasion of celebrating the Silver Jubilee Year of Hyderabad
Film Club. the idea of organizing a "MOVIE MELA" has
been mooted. The rationale behind organizing this MELA is to
provide a unique opportunity to the film lovers of Twin-cities
of watching some of the film classics of the millennium at a
single go within a span of 30 days at Hari Hara Kala Bhavan.
Secunderabad.
The MOVIE MELA was inaugurated on September 26th. 1999 by none
other than the pride of Indian Cinema. Dr. Akkineni Nageswara
Rao. Dadasaheb Phaike Awardee. On this occaasion a Festival
Booklet containing details programme and synopses of the films
screened during the MELA has been released . The MELA covered
a wide range of films starting from Lumiere films and Raja Harischandra
to the latest films.
The package of films selected for screening in the MO\4E MELA
comprised 28 Indian Short- Films (both fiction and non-fiction).
28 foreign feature films and 30 Indian feature films. some of
which have been repeated on public demand. This package of foreign
feature films consisted of films made by master film-makers
from countries such as France, Hungary. Italy. Finland, U.S.A.
Czechoslovakia. Germany, Japan. New Zealand, USSR. (ran, Poland.
Sweden. Cuba. etc. And the package of Indian feature films consisted
of films made by well-known film-makers from various languages
like Telugu, Tamil, Kannada. Malayalam Hindi. Bengali. Oriya.
Sanskrit. Marathi & Assamese. The response from the film
loving citizens of twin-cities has been overwhelming. Suffice
it to say the MOVIE MELA has been the talk of the town.
On this occasion, a Seminar on "TELUGU CINEMA" for
two days was conducted in which stalwarts from the Telugu Film
Industry participated.
This august event has been ably supported by the Andhra Pradesh
State Film. Theatre & Television Development Corporation
and co-sponsored by A. P. Travel & Tourism Development Corporation.
The important events of the Club. organized since last 15 years
are enclosed (Annexure-l).
Having the benefit of monthly screenings of National Film Archive
of India films. Hyderabad Film Club has a well-structured regular
monthly programme of its members.
Hyderabad Film Club publishes a monthly journal by name "HYFIC".
In this journal besides the synopsis of the films screened,
articles on Film Appreciation. World Cinema and reviews of outstanding
Indian films are included.
Screening more than 2000 Indian and foreign feature films and
documentary & short films during the last 32 years, we have
been successfully running the show against all odds Every month
Hyderabad Film Club screens between 8 and 10 national and foreign
films of wide repute at Sri Sarathi Studios Preview Theatre
Films are mostly collected directly from Embassies or through
the apex body Federation of Film Societies of India.
In March. 2005 the Club started a "Documentary Circle"
to promote the young and upcoming film-makers to screen their
short and documentary films in this Circle's programme every
month on fourth Saturday
A house magazine "HYFIC" (Hyderabad Film Club's News
Letter), is published every month to take members aware of the
significance of the types of films screened by the Club The
Club published several books on Cinema.
