Jozi after dark is full of hidden secrets, and one insider favourite is a 12-year-old club that consistently attracts film buffs. The Atlas Studio Film Club in Milpark was started in 2004 by Jonathan Gimpel, John Barker and Ziggy Hofmeyr as an informal gathering of film industry types.The monthly screening proved to be a hit and soon attracted a wider audience than just the filmmaking community. Joburgers showed that they appreciated films that aren't just big-screen CGI dramas and regurgitated sequels.The club has been an opportunity for networking and collaboration and is a venue to premiere films.Gimpel notes that they've never done additional advertising for club events and still they fill up."We use a sticker system and a first come, first served basis because we sometimes have to turn people away."The theatre can accommodate up to 250 people, and Gimpel says: "The only thing you need to appreciate film is to start watching local content. You'll start noticing the quality of the films when you're not glued to what they show on TV."Gimpel says he's been blown away by the range of films he's seen at the club ."Some of those stories stay with you. There was a Korean film I can't even remember the title of, but the plot was so intriguing."The movie was 3-Iron, about a man who breaks into people's homes while they're on holiday and tidies them up.Gimpel's collaborators in running the club are Akin Omotoso, an actor and filmmaker, and Katarina Hedrén , a film programmer.Omotoso and Hedrén, who are responsible for curating the films, open each screening with an introduction to the film and sometimes have the director present to add extra insight.Afterwards there is a post-screening discussion.Hedrén says: "The interaction from the audience is always so energetic. It's brilliant. In the club the audience can react more and enjoy cinema as the visceral experience that it is."The film club is not a highbrow arthouse movie thing, we're very informal. Movies are, after all, about people's stories."Showing under-represented films and films from Africa supports the evolution of the medium. That's a plus, as is the fact that the club is jam-packed every month. It means Joburgers are happy to venture out at night during the week and can appreciate films that are more interesting, provocative and thought-provoking than Hollywood's same ol', same ol'.The Atlas Studios Film Club gathers every first Wednesday of the month. Click here for more information...