Polarized spectrophotometry and laser flash-photolysis time-resolved microwave conductivity (FP-TRMC) have been used to measure the anisotropy in the optical absorption and photoconductivity of a ca. 40nm thick film of hexakisdodecyl-hexa peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC-C12) prepared by zone-casting onto a bare quartz substrate. At room temperature the film displays negligible optical anisotropy but an order of magnitude preference for conduction in the direction of zone casting. On heating above the K-to-Col transition temperature found for the bulk material the film becomes optically anisotropic with light polarized perpendicular to the direction of columnar alignment favored by a factor of ca. 3. This is ascribed to reorientation of the mesogens within the film from a close to 45° tilted columnar arrangement to closer to orthogonal stacking. A decrease in the photoconductivity of the film on entering the mesophase is observed and attributed to a decrease in the charge mobility on melting of the saturated hydrocarbon mantle.