The Dunedin Film Society is planning to mark its anniversary with two classic films released in 1947, the year the group formed.
Vice-president Alister McDonald, who has been a member since 1977, said a lot of its members were "very passionate about the art form", something which had not changed over the years.
In the early days there were many different types of members, such as those interested in British cinema, foreign language films, silent films and current events.
That desire to see a wide variety of films was part of what kept people interested today, he said.
The society delivers a curated and diverse range of films, some of which cannot be found any other way.
"The idea that streaming services have everything is simply not true."
Much had changed throughout the group’s history, but one of the most controversial was when the Federation of Film Societies, which supplied the group with films, switched from celluloid to DVD distribution.
Some believed film cells provided a better picture than a digital one, but he was not bothered by the change.
"I’d rather see it digitally than not at all."
The society has roots which can be traced back to 1946, but it was formally inaugurated in September 1947.
The first film it ever screened was Dr Erlich’s Magic Bullet, a biopic about a German doctor who discovers a cure for syphilis.
Annual subscriptions were set at 10 shillings, which was about $44 in today’s money, he said.
Within a year the group had about 1000 members, over 1% of the city at the time.
Last year the society boasted about 200 members, but a rough start this year due to Covid-19 left it with about 80 at present.
In the late 1990s the group had about 40 members and had come back strong, so he saw no reason it would not gain more members in the future.
To celebrate the 75th anniversary, the group would enjoy birthday cake along with screenings of Lewis Allen’s Desert Fury, as well as Powell and Pressburger’s Black Narcissus, both of which were released in 1947.
