Chestnut Hill Film Group

facebook.com/p/Chestnut-Hill-Film-Group-61580816650331

Chestnut Hill Film Group (CHFG), established in 1971 in Chestnut Hill, organizes weekly film screenings that bring classic, cult, international, and rarely seen movies to the big screen.

Its primary program, "Tuesday Nights at the Movies," partners with the Woodmere Art Museum. It transforms the gallery into a screening space for curated series running about 17–20 films per season (fall, winter/spring), with doors opening around 6:30–7 p.m. and shows starting at 7 p.m. Suggested donation is $5 (or free in some descriptions). Recent/upcoming selections include Sunset Boulevard, Working Girl, La Strada, The Hitch-Hiker (presented in 16mm), Dodsworth, pre-Code films, British cinema, and silents with live accompaniment.

Tangible outcomes include consistent community attendance (often large turnouts for advertised or popular titles), providing an authentic theatrical experience with high-quality projection—upgraded in 2025 with a theatrical laser projector, 4K processor, and enhanced brightness/contrast. This allows audiences, including film students and enthusiasts, to discover hidden gems, revisit Oscar-winning or nominated classics, and engage with international and independent works that are hard to see properly elsewhere.

Local coverage in the Chestnut Hill Local and neighborhood reports highlights its longevity (over 50 years, now in its 53rd+ season), volunteer-driven curation by founders like Ralph Hirshorn, community input on selections, pre-show socializing, and role as a cultural hub drawing people across ages for shared viewing in a museum setting. It sustains repertory-style cinema in an era of streaming.

Note: The above description was written by Grok AI in reply to an expertly worded query by Wikidelphia's staff editor.

In The News

• Still going strong: the story of the Chestnut Hill Film Group, Chestnut Hill Local, February 10, 2022
• Chestnut Hill's art house film theater celebrates 50 years, Chestnut Hill Local, February 10, 2022.