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First Show There is no dearth of sponsors for film societies as the business community is slowly showing interest in being part of the movement

A number of very active film societies, film festivals and other related activities have kept the film buffs on their toes. Despite the numerous television channels serving out entertainment, viewers for society screenings are not dwindling. The numerous media schools that have come up in the city have also churned out a film loving crowd.

There are more than half-a-dozen active film societies in the city and its suburbs. The oldest among them is the Cochin Film Society. Founded in 1984, this society is moving into its Silver Jubilee. It has the credit of uninterrupted screening for more than two decades. The youngest is, perhaps, the recently launched Metro Film Society. The other active societies include Chitrasala at Angamaly, Janachitra (Aluva), Sumangala (Kothamangalam), Kesari (North Paravur) and Perumbavoor Film Society.

Apart from these there are several movie clubs functioning at various colleges and libraries in the city.

The Tripunithura-based Elias Foundation, spearheaded by actor Ravindran, also works actively to promote good cinema through film shows and awareness programmes.

The film society movement germinated in Kerala during the mid 60s with the formation of the Chitralekha Film Society in Thiruvananthapuram. It was Adoor Gopalakrishnan and his companions who ignited the movement and it caught on in other places. In the city the Ernakulam Film Society and Suchitra Film Society were formed. Ever since, film societies became an integral part of Kochi’s culturescape.

The 70s marked the emergence of new wave Malayalam cinema and alongside more than a 100 film societies surfaced across Kerala. Chetana, Chitravedi, Prachodana, BEAME Film Society and film societies named after places at Aluva, Angamaly, Udyogamandal, Kodungallur, and Thrikkakkara were active in Kochi during the early days. For a brief spell, the Tripunithura Municipality also had a brush with films with Janadrisya Film Club.

“During those days intellectuals, artists, writers and even radicals passionately came together to watch films”, recalls artist T. Kaladharan. Monthly screenings, archival shows, short film festivals, one day festivals, workshops, seminars, retrospective of masters form the regular activities of film societies in the city. And at least two of them, Cochin Film Society and Metro Film Society have their own monthly journals too. ‘Sequences’, the monthly journal published by Cochin Film Society rolled out its hundredth issue recently. The neatly produced journal of the new Metro Film Society is titled ‘Preview’.

“With a view to creating an intellectual edge, which is largely missing these days, we’re also into imparting programmes in film studies. We will be holding a workshop in scriptwriting and cinematography soon”, informs Prof C. S. Jayaram, president, Cochin Film Society.

The film societies, affiliated to Federation of Film Societies of India and National Film Archives of India, offer life and annual memberships and the members are regularly informed of their activities through newsletters, emails, even SMS. “Definitely, there is a growing crowd for film society screenings and in less than six months of commencement we could rope in 300 members,” reveals Varghese Mathew, secretary, Metro Film Society. This new entrant is poised to host an international film festival in the city next month.

One significant change felt in the activities of film societies is that whatever be the programme, there is no dearth of sponsors as the business community is slowly showing interest in being part of the film screenings. “We organised our second international film festival this January and the entire show was sponsored by local entrepreneurs. Had it not been for them, it would not have been possible to host such a festival in a place like Angamaly,” remarks Ajayan, Chitrasala Film Society.

The film societies have contributed to the enhanced awareness levels of viewers, exposed masses to world classics and to the possibilities of this powerful cultural medium. “Way back in 1976, we were the first to hold a festival of Bergman films in the State. We had viewers from across the State for this event,” says Kutbuddin of Suchitra Fim Society, which used to function from Fort Kochi.

The film societies have become so popular that many directors have even chosen to premiere their films through them. Mammooty once confessed that it was the film society movement in the city that helped mould his celluloid dreams.

Easy accessibility of advanced technology has helped film societies in a big way. The availability of films in DVD format and affordable pricing of projectors have made screenings possible even in a small seminar hall. However, according to Varghese Mathew an adequate and affordable space for regular cinema screening is still a dream in the city. Much of the privately owned theatres have been converted into marriage halls or shopping malls and the already existing ones are not always available.

Despite all these grim realities Kochi is becoming a fertile homeland for cinema lovers.

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