How a Film Society's niche approach is thriving in the age of streaming

But like cinema, the death reports seemed greatly exaggerated - that was until Covid-19. Now it's trying to figure out what a post-pandemic film society looks like and other societies around the state are keen for answers, too.

The group's response is that the future is "optimistic", if they all stick to what they do best.

Janez Zagoda, the Launceston Film Society's president, who has helmed the volunteer-led organisation for three years, first fell in love with film in what could be considered the cinema-going golden age: the era of the blockbuster.

Not because he loved Jaws, Alien, or Star Wars, though, Mr Zagoda became enamoured with a different world.

"Living in London, I was opened up to this world of Turkish films, German Films and French Films, and I thought, this is incredible," Mr Zagoda said.

"It opened my eyes and I wanted more."

When he moved to Launceston, the Society was where he found it. Now 30 years on, he's hoping two things can be the organisation's saviours: playing mainstream films with "an arty leaning" and the society's communal appeal.

"First of all, you're coming because of the feel of a cinema; it's a community thing," he said.

"What we're sort of offering for members is to be with like-minded people."

In the short-term, that approach has largely worked; the society has come close to its pre-pandemic membership heights of about 1600, now sitting at 1100.

It's hoping to keep the growth going, even with it still being one of the largest in the country, only surpassed by Noosa Film Society, which sits at about 2000 members.

Compared with plenty of other groups around the country, including the 13 others in Tasmania, it's a far cry from a crisis point - plenty of the smaller groups are dwindling between 20 to 50 members.

But like cinema, the Society's rebound post-pandemic could be short-lived, if it can be attributed to a desire to "get out of the house" after time cooped up inside - in the last Australian census, cinema was the country's most popular cultural activity.

Plenty of that audience was also urged on by blockbusters like Barbie and Openheimer boosting the industry.

Now that trend of a return to cinemas seems to be ending - likely influenced by the recent screenwriters' strikes in Hollywood - groups like the LFS are hoping to capitalise on their unique offering, and it might just be their life raft.

While niche cinema has never drawn in big crowds, it has a "solid appeal", and with 40 films a year hand-picked by the group's committee, it might be enough.

Mr Zagoda certainly thinks so.

"Launceston has always had a strong connection with the arts, and that extends to film," he said.

"After 65 years, that's how we've ebbed and flowed, grown and shrunk. But we've been in it for the long run and if we've survived all of the other stuff, we'll survive this.

"The world might have changed, but people still love the movies."