On March 01, 1974, the Hyderabad Film Club was launched with an aim to create a movement for critical appreciation and understanding of cinema.
The Club is a non-commercial & voluntary Society, registered under Societies Registration Act, 1350 on 25-01-1977 vide No. 54/1977.
The club affiliated to the Federation of Film societies of India (FFSI), which is a member of International Federation of Film Societies
The objectives:
The Club has been functioning in the twin-cities as an ambassador of Good Cinema. Particularly, from 2007, Hyderabad Film Club has been in the limelight, bringing its members a series of great works of the masters of cinema.
The Club is steered by an honorary Executive body, elected among its members.
During its creative journey, 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, Girish Kasaravalli, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, B.Narsinga Rao and others from India.
Club has been also been organizing several festivals with country wise focus. Such as, Swiss Film Festival, Korean 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. Seminars are organized on films and film personalities.
On the occasion of celebrating the Silver Jubilee Year of Hyderabad Film Club (on completion of 25 years’ service), the idea of organizing a “MOVIE MELA” has been mooted. The MELA is designed to provide a unique opportunity to the film lovers of Twin-cities to watch prominent film classics of the millennium at a single go within a span of 30 days at Hari Hara Kala Bhavan, Secunderabad.The MELA covered a wide range of films starting from Lumiere and Raja Harischandra to the latest films.
The package of films selected for screening in the MOVE MELA comprised 30 Indian Short-Films (both fiction and non-fiction), 30 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, Korea, Japan, New Zealand, USSR, Iran, 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. The MOVIE MELA has been the talk of the town. A two day Seminar on “TELUGU CINEMA” was also conducted with active participation of stalwarts from the Telugu Film Industry.
Having the benefit of monthly screenings of National Film Archive of India films, Hyderabad Film Club has a well-structured regular monthly programme for its members. Every month the Club screens between 5 and 6 Indian and foreign films of repute.
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. The Club published several books on Cinema.
The Club has screened more than 3000 Indian and foreign feature films and documentary & short films, during the last 42 years. The Club have been successfully running the show against all odds.
The Club organized, 1st Hyderabad International Film Festival from March 23rd to 29th 2007 and Club also organized 2nd Hyderabad International Film Festival from January 3rd to 10th, 2008, with global participation.
During 2nd Festival about 150 films were screened. Both Film Festivals were well received well and appreciated by public and got wide coverage in media.
In September 2010, the Club organized a Short & Documentary Film Festival of Hyderabad-2010 for 5 days.
The Club enjoys an appreciable reputation, as one of the best and active film societies in India, particularly in South India.