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There are plenty of great, free movies if  you know where to look

YEARS AGO, you could only watch movies in cinemas. But times have changed and now there are more options.

Movie buffs can watch an increasing number of films for free or at a discount.

For example, you can join a film club. If you pay an annual membership fee of $100, you can borrow an unlimited number

of DVDs from Broadway Cinematheque in Yau Ma Tei. Its library has 5,000 films.

The theatre's membership scheme, set up in 1996, offers discounts  on movie tickets and snacks at the cinema and on food and drinks at the nearby Kubric Cafe.

Members are also given priority for special events, such as movie seminars and film courses.

Yuli Tsang, 23, a student at the University of Hong Kong, said she often visits Kubric Cafe, where she meets other movie  buffs.

Broadway Cinematheque's library is mostly stocked with art house movies to promote a diverse film culture in Hong Kong.

Those who prefer commercial or more mainstream movies can find them at public libraries.

Central Library in Causeway Bay has about 90 computer terminals on which users can watch  movies for free.

Another source of free movies is the Hong Kong Film Archive in Sai Wan Ho.

The archive, run by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, gets prints of old Hong Kong films and movie-related materials from all over the world.

They are stored in archives which  contain more than 5,600 films, including local movies  from the 1930s and 1940s and martial arts movies.

The archive's resource centre, which is a treasure trove of  books, magazines, newspapers and audio-visual material, is open to the public.

You can apply for a free Audiovisual Materials Viewing Card that allows you to watch films in  booths with one or two friends.

If you want to watch a movie with a couple of friends, a room for groups is available.

The archive's  films cannot be borrowed,  but  you can copy them for research purposes for a fee. Films   can also be reserved for viewing.

Research centre assistant Miranda Liu Man-yee said: 'The public can watch almost 2,000 films.

'Some films cannot be  shown  because we have not received   permission from the copyright owners.'

The archive regularly stages movie-related exhibitions and organises screenings, symposiums and seminars.

'We  mostly screen old films which are difficult for the public to access, but sometimes we also show  the latest movies in conjunction with film festivals. But there's a charge similar to regular screenings in theatres [$60 to $70],' said Ms Liu.

To boost awareness of Hong Kong's film heritage among young people, the archive will be screening more than 10 sets of special local  films from the early 1900s to the 1960s.

The screenings are open to student groups - including primary schools, secondary schools, post-secondary institutes and universities. The fee is $400 or more for each group, depending on the number of persons.

For more information about  Broadway Cinematheque membership,  visit http://bc.cinema.com.hk/en/apply.jsp

Location: Prosperous Garden, 3 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei (Exit C, Yau Ma Tei MTR station)

Central Library location:

66 Causeway Road, Causeway Bay

Enquires: 3150 1234

Opening hours: 10am-9pm daily except Wednesdays (1pm-9pm) and public holidays (10am-7pm) Hong Kong Film Archive location: 50 Lei King Road, Sai Wan Ho Enquiries: 2739 2139



Have a reel good time