MSJ Film Club revives cinema culture and brings community together through movies

By Staff Writers Abigaile Lei & Andy Zhang

The lights dimmed, conversations faded, and the opening scene of Mean Girls began playing from a projector. What was once a lesser known club was transformed by Film Club President Junior Shin Min into one of the most lively at MSJ, driven by his love for film and cinematography. As the club transitioned into the 2025 school year, Min took over the club with a new vision. 

Eager to contribute to MSJ, Min recruited a team of officers to help him and set out with a mission. “I would say our goal is to make films and introduce people to short filmmaking and film production. We also want to host movie nights and have a lot of collaborations with other clubs, so we can show that movies can be more than just entertainment,” Min said. At a high school as competitive as MSJ, Min wants to emphasize that not everything that isn’t directly related to academics is pointless, and he aims to prove this through MSJ Film Club. He hopes that through screenings and discussions, students can realize the value of non-academic activities and frame cinematography as a meaningful outlet for expression and reflection. “I’m hoping with more movie nights and more appearances of movies, we can talk about movies and make it obvious that movies are an essential part of life itself. [Movies] shouldn’t be something that you should compromise for the sake of being locked in,” Min said.

Min’s efforts have already begun to reshape the club’s presence on campus. Since the beginning of the school year, MSJ Film Club has hosted up to five movie nights, drawing in students beyond its core members, many attending simply to unwind after a long academic week. The screenings have become social events on campus, with officers coming early to test the projector, set up snacks, and arrange seats, and attendees arriving eager to decompress. “ During the screening us officers are usually watching along with the audience and we just prepare more snacks if people still want them,” Film Club Outreach Director Junior Tim Nguyen said. Their mission is to make people feel comfortable and secure, allowing students to fully immerse themselves in the world displayed on the screen.

 By hosting these regular events, the club aims to expose students to the culture of film, which Film Club Advisor Chelbert Dai notes is something becoming increasingly rare. “I think for a lot of people, especially this generation, that exposure [to films] is coming later and later in life,” Dai said. His hopes that the club will teach the next generation how to be more engaged and appreciative of films in a world that increasingly depends on short form content. By hosting movie screenings in the C120 auditorium, featuring holiday-themed films, and offering free popcorn, the club aims to recreate the communal experience of cinema that theaters often lack. These events have helped the club gain visibility and establish itself as a space for students to relax and feel at ease.

By pairing filmmaking with accessible events like movie nights and social media polls, the club has expanded its reach beyond a small group of students. As the club continues to grow, they hope to leave a lasting impact on the student body, reminding its members that creativity is just as essential as academics.