Calcutta Film Society

[4][5] It was revived in 1956 with the efforts of stalwarts like Dasgupta, Vijaya Mulay, Diptendu Pramanick and Satyajit Ray.

[6] Today it is seen as an important harbinger of New Wave cinema in India, as it allowed first hand access to world cinema to local viewers and in time started the film society movement in India.

And despite tough censorship policies, under the "Indian Cinematograph Act 1918" of the British Raj, which still in enforced censorship rule to all gathering for cinema viewing, they survived low membership during the first five years viewing mainly Russian and European films.

Noted film personalities were invited to speak at the society which they did on several occasions, including Russian actor, Nikolay Cherkasov, directors Jean Renoir, John Huston.

The festival according to film historian, Jerzy Toeplitz became a turning point in the history of Indian cinema as it was first time, Indian audience had access to Italian neorealism as well as new Japanese cinema.