About Us

A Unique Community Cinema.

Welcome,

Here at the Port Fairy Film Society Inc. is a not-for-profit organisation, and we love to enjoy great cinema.

The society screens a film on the third Friday of the month from February to November.

During the summer time, we have our Summer Movies. From December 26 to January 26, we offer a range of films for our locals and visitors.

We support community groups by assisting with the screening of films for Community Fundraisers during the year.

The Port Fairy Film Society Inc. committee is pledged to strengthen our commitment to preserving the wonderful experience of seeing a film in the historic Reardon Theatre .

Our Purpose

The purposes of the Port Fairy Film Society Inc. are:

To promote and introduce a diverse range of fine and non-mainstream cinema to the community of Port Fairy and district
To provide a regular collective cultural experience
To stimulate and provoke the community through artistic and resonate films
To develop the critical awareness of cinema within the community
To promote new, fun and interesting ways of story-telling through film
To foster a receptive, open environment that provides for and supports the social, cultural and educational needs of the Port Fairy community and surrounding district
To improve social equity, participation and the quality of life of the community.

Reardon Theatre images

Some facts

John Henry Reardon

Mayor

The former Drill Hall became the Fairy Palace Picture Theatre in the 1920s, operated by "Skippy" Wilson it was superseded in 1954 when the present cinema, now called the Reardon Theatre in honour of J.H. Reardon, was built with a capacity of 600. The architects were Cowper Murphy & Associates, the most prominent firm designing cinemas in Australia at the time.

(Heritage Matters P/L, 'Jaffas Down the Aisles', 2008, p. 22 & 29)

Another very important post World War Two building is the Reardon Theatre, built of Mount Gambier Stone in a late interpretation of the Art Deco style. It dominates this section of Bank Street.

Port Fairy Heritage Citations 2015 September 2015

'April in Paris' starring Doris Day was the first film to screen at the Port Fairy Cinema on 26 July, 1954.

The cinema was hailed as 'the most up to date theatre in the Western District' and boasted state-of-the-art air conditioning.