Take your seats, cinema's shared experience is back

Woonona lecturer Jeannine Baker teaches media production and audiovisual journalism at the University of Newcastle. Ian Fenwick is a retired grandfather from Mt Kembla who worked in business systems, while Wollongong's Lea Kirkwood recently finished a career in healthcare innovation and is rediscovering her hometown (“especially,” she says, “swimming in our beautiful beach pools and engaging with the local arts scene”).

The trio might never have met if it were not for a shared love: the movies.

Now they’re part of a six-strong committee, a wider team of volunteers and a society of more than 400 film lovers looking forward to a year of diverse screenings, starting this Sunday with French comedy-drama Holy Cow.

“There’s a buzz in the foyer at the start of the season and before each film,” says Jeannine, the Illawarra Film Society’s chair and program curator.

“It’s a huge amount of work putting the program together each year, but very rewarding, especially when you can hear how much the audience is enjoying the selection.

“Many friends meet for dinner before the film (the Open Hearth pub around the corners provides a discount to IFS members on Sunday nights) or hang around to chat afterwards. When I’m walking to my car after the film, I love hearing people discussing the film they’ve just seen. We’ve also organised film-themed social occasions in the past, where members can meet new people.”

Bargain at $3 a flick

“Each year we curate a program of films that we screen at the Gala Cinema on Sunday nights," Jeannine says. "This year there are 32 films, and members pay just $99 fee for the year which is an amazing deal."

People travel from as far as afield as Picton, Wilton, Berry and Shellharbour through to Helensburgh, as well as Bankstown and Alexandria.

“The film society is a huge undertaking and requires a lot of hands behind the scenes to keep it running smoothly," Jeannine says. "We have six people serving on the committee, including our secretary, Katrina, who has been with the IFS since the beginning.”

While members love the social side, Jeannine emphasises that it’s a film society rather than a club, with an eclectic program covering a range of genres, from absurdist comedy to drama and documentary. 

“There are hundreds of film societies across Australia, and the IFS is one of the largest with over 400 members. Many smaller towns have film societies showing films on DVD in community halls. Ours is a bit different because most of our films are in digital cinema format, and sitting in a cinema audience watching high-quality films is a big drawcard for our members. 

“I’ve been a member of the film society since it started in 2012. Ten years later the society’s founder and original curator, Theresa Huxtable, asked if I would be interested in taking on the curating role, which I did for 2023 and 2024 seasons. Hazel Flynn took over as curator in 2024, but devastatingly, Hazel died unexpectedly just before the start of the 2025 season that she’d worked so hard on putting together. So I returned to the committee to help with the program, and have also now taken on the role of chair." 

Ian volunteered in 2024 and is the society’s treasurer; Lea joined in October 2025 and oversees the volunteers' roster, as well as helping out with publicity.

“I'm a new committee member and am blown away by the passion and hard work of such a small committee and talented volunteers to keep the film society growing and prospering,” Lea says.

In curating the program, Jeannine casts her net wide to consider what audiences might enjoy. “Jaws, which we’re screening this year, was suggested by a member. And our deputy chair, Karen, was keen for us to pay tribute to Robert Redford by screening the 1976 political thriller All the President’s Men."

What the audience wants

“I try to make the program as entertaining as possible, with a good selection of films that are upbeat," Jeannine says. "We’ll still include films that challenge us or spark conversations about pressing social issues, but overall, we aim to have a program that is enjoyable, because that’s what the audience wants. 

“They also want to be taken to new places and hear new voices, so we seek out films from around the world that didn’t get a general release in the Illawarra, along with some crowd-pleasing classics that will look great on the big screen, such as the German thriller Run Lola Run (1998) and Douglas Sirk’s lush 1950s melodrama All That Heaven Allows.  I’m always on the lookout for new or little-seen Australian films, especially films with a connection with the Illawarra. 

“I’m excited to be showing Porcelain War, a documentary about Ukrainian artists during the Russian invasion, which was nominated for an Academy Award and won a prize at Sundance. One of the producers lives in the Illawarra.” 

Ian says: “I feel the common threads among the committee are the love of the medium and the strength of its storytelling and the reward of being able to share that experience with the wider community membership."

Even in the age of streaming, humans are programmed to gather for storytelling and Lea loves watching films “in a cinema with a community”.  

She also appreciates the chance to watch films she wouldn’t ordinarily think to see. “Last year this included thought provoking documentaries, cultural stories, classic Australian films I hadn't seen previously and foreign films that I lost myself in. I think the film society has opened up my thinking about trying new genres and being surprised by them,” Lea says.

Share the love, bring a friend

The Illawarra society is part of Australian Film Societies Federation and it is a not-for-profit, with membership fees covering cinema hire, film distributors’ fees and other costs, such as printing.

“If we don’t get a certain number of members then we run the risk of not being able to cover our running costs,” Jeannine says.

“Short films play before some features, and we sometimes have filmmakers come to present their films or do a Q&A with the audience. We provide food and drinks on opening and closing nights, and members also get two guest passes so they can bring a friend to two films across the season.

"Supporting film culture and the local film industry is part of what drives us and we’ll also typically show a couple of short films made by student filmmakers each year."

Many society members help behind the scenes and on film nights. “And of course, we couldn’t do it without Ian Hyslop at the Gala Cinema, who is a great supporter of community events and organisations,” Jeannine says.

“Although I might be the ‘face’ of the IFS as chair, we believe strongly in democratic, consultative processes, and we respect each other’s viewpoints, skills and experiences. I think it’s the only way to run a community non-profit that depends on volunteer labour.”

To join, visit the society’s website.

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