About us

The Hobart Film Society (HFS)

The HFS is the oldest current film society in Australia. 2022 marked the seventy-sixth year of the HFS. 

Founded on 14 May 1946, the HFS originally aimed to screen films that would otherwise not be shown in mainstream cinemas. The HFS shows films from a range of genres - comedy, drama, horror, thriller, western, musical, sci-fi, documentary and others more difficult to classify. We emphasise “classic” and landmark movies, and show a significant number of Australian and New Zealand films where we can.

Since the founding of the HFS, we have screened classic and important films from the history of cinema at members-only screenings. In most years prior to 2000, the HFS also held many public screenings each year, usually of films not previously seen in Tasmania. These events, including the annual Hobart International Film Festivals from 1974 to 1992, were often attended by several hundred members and non-members. All this has helped to establish a wider Tasmanian appreciation of new and classic films from around the world.   

HFS member numbers have varied over the years for a range of reasons. When starting out there were 30-40 members, with membership peaking at 1,774 in 1983. In 2021, there were 143 members.

The HFS has had many homes over the years, spending its earliest days in the Hydro-Electric Commission Theatrette and State Cinema. Other venues have included the Geology Theatre at the University of Tasmania, Cinema One (former Tatler Newsreel Theatre, underground at 86 Murray Street), the Avalon Theatre, West End Twin Cinemas (later Village Cinemas), Dechaineux Theatre (Centre for the Arts in Hunter Street), and the Philip Smith Centre in Glebe. 

Early venues had the capacity to screen either 16mm or 35mm films. 35mm projection was always done by professional projectionists while 16mm projection was done by committee members. HFS screened its first DVD in 2005, and since then DVD and Blu-ray have become the dominant means of projection.

Members-only screenings

These days members enjoy weekly screenings (late January to early December), with films showing on a Monday at 7.30pm at the Nell Pascoe Room, Criterion House, Mathers Place, Hobart (see the Venue page for a map). 

The evening starts with the advertised main feature and, after a brief interval (5 minutes or so), we sometimes screen bonus short films from a range of sources. 

Due to COVID venue capacity restrictions, we recommend booking (see the Bookings page for details).

Current committee

The HFS is a non-profit organisation run by a committed group of volunteer members: 

Other committee members include Paul Bywater, Robert Dick, Graeme Gullick, Megan Hale, Kym Mayer, Jane Monaghan and Leah Triffett. 

We are always keen to co-opt new members to the committee – please contact us if you are interested in helping.