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special awards
| diamond | *****
| **** | *** | ** | * | Young
People's
AV Awards | event
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BIAFF 2015
... THE EVENT |
Arriving
Friends together again
Ready for the Gala dinner Dutch visitors Bouke, Margreet and Kees Ned Cordery receives his FACI from Linda Gough Sunday audience John Myall Michael Orford Sunday projectionists Geoff Harmer won a Diamond award for Selfie Robert Lorrimer won a Diamond award and Best Comedy for Writers Block Ivor Rose announces the overall winner Copy That |
Comment by Ken Wilson
Carol and I have been to 19 of the past 20 MOVIE/ BIAFF
events since we joined the IAC in 1994. The only one we missed
was Weymouth in 2012. Most have been great events with usually
blistering sunny days spent watching a variety of imaginative
non-commercial movies in darkened hotel conference rooms.
Sittingbourne in Kent, was the venue for 2015. We had no
idea how far it was and just booked it anyway, but it became
apparent that the Sat-Nav prediction of 4 hours and 10 minutes
was unduly optimistic. Fifty mph speed limits on large
stretches of the motorway and heavy traffic around the M25 as
well as stops for petrol, food and comfort breaks, meant it
took us over 6 hours to get there.
As we were the last to arrive on the Friday evening, and
the meal was all about finished, we never expected to get fed,
although we had paid for this as part of the weekend package.
But Rita Hayes spoke to the staff and they were all very
friendly and helpful and we had our own private sitting for
the Friday dinner.
The hotel (The Coniston) was modern, very comfortable
and spotlessly clean. The only issue was the confusion of
controls for the taps for the bath and shower which seemed
designed to baffle anyone without a science degree. But
I worked it out after some trial and error.
Food for the BIAFF events can sometimes be a problem due to
the hotel having to cater for large numbers of people all at
once, but we both thought that this year everything we had was
first rate. There was a good selection of food and certainly
what I chose was hot and well presented.
This year we had 5 mini cinemas to choose from on the
Saturday. The decisions of which one to pick are always an
issue as you usually only get the one chance to see the movies
screened. It`s always a compromise and you have to pick the
programme that appeals overall. Our choices were mostly good,
though you always wonder what other gems you are missing.
Silent War by Mark Anthony Games
was a well made shocker about domestic abuse and I was
surprised it only received 4 stars. I would have placed it
higher, but then, there are always many differences of opinion
at these events.
The third show on Saturday was the Young Faces at BIAFF
presentation and here we saw lots of potential talent for the
future. Great imagination, humour and serious topics were
handled well by very young film makers which left me feeling
more optimistic for future events.
Water`s Edge a music video by Channel 7
was another film I think deserved better than its 3 stars. But
then again, music videos tend not to be rated highly by many
judges.
As always there was lots to see and discuss and even though
the weekend seemed very full and hectic, we did get a few
minutes here and there to speak to a film friends about what
we had seen and sometimes to discuss the meaning behind some
of the more obscure films.
Saturday was the usual gala dinner, though this time I had
a surprise. Peter Rouillard who is well known from his running
of the Guernsey Lily festival with his wife Mary, was supposed
to speak after the dinner about his membership of the IAC.
Unfortunately, he was taken ill and the organisers needed
someone to read his speech for him. I don`t know how it
happened, but suddenly I found myself in the frame and before
I knew it, I had agreed to do it for Peter. This was a bit of
a shock and unexpected and I read and re-read his speech in
breaks during the dinner. I explained to Jill Lampert who was
sat next to us what was going on so as not to appear rude.
After this, Saturday was over and it was the big Sunday
show.
This year we had the expected mix of comedies, thrillers
and serious dramas, sometimes a touch incomprehensible and
some with subtitles. This was the only real problem with the
screenings over the various shows. Low ceilings are a real
problem in hotels and in all the shows we attended, the bottom
quarter of the screen was not visible. Whilst this is (kind
of) manageable for films in English, the subtitled ones
suffered badly and the Sunday show had around a dozen or more
of us stood at the back so that we could read the titles over
the heads of those in front. As each subtitled movie started,
there was a rush from the seated audience to the back of the
room, where we could stand without blocking those in front.
This was a real issue for the film screenings.
But there were some really good films and a decent mixture
of subject matter to keep us entertained. Unfortunately, due
to the long journey, we left before the very end for the drive
home, but we heard that Copy
That, a really well made comedy, was the
overall winner. A strong contender for me was Selfie
by Geoff Harmer which is a very eerie thriller.
Overall it was an excellent weekend and well done to all
the organisers for all their hard work. Ken Wilson (The webmaster thanks Keith Sayers and Michael Gough for the photographs) |
Welcome from Rita and Pip Hayes Breakfast
Making new friends
One of the Mini Cinemas Andy Watson projectionist Ken giving Peter Rouillard's speech Betty Jennings with her UNICA medal John Astin receives his FACI from Linda Gough Sunday audience Colchester Film Makers won a Diamond and Best Affiliated Club Entry |
Comment by Mary Rouillard
Speaking personally, the weekend was marked by the absence of some of
the "regulars". However, it was lovely to catch up with the many good
friends who did attend. The social aspect of the festival is what makes
it special for me. The hotel was excellent, with members of staff being particularly helpful and efficient in their duties. The meals were served promptly and the food was always appetising. The tea/coffee breaks also ran smoothly, without the long queues we have experienced at previous festivals. My (probably annoying) requests for hot water during the breaks were dealt with swiftly and cheerfully. And I believe some films were shown too ..... Incredibly, I didn't hear a single voice of dissent about the winner of the Daily Mail Trophy (although I expect there were some). We watched some superb work in a variety of genres. I am always amazed at the amount of talent that exists within the amateur movement. So, all in all, a great weekend that was thoroughly enjoyable and that flew past much too quickly! Mary Rouillard |
Comment by Mike Shaw
Good food (served and not 'queued' for), excellent hotel staff service,
a well furnished comfortable room, great company and a superb
variety of toprate films: what more could one ask for on a BIAFF weekend? Mike Shaw (Webmaster: Film makers put subtitles on their work for sending to a number of festivals, not solely for BIAFF.) |
special awards | diamond | *****
| **** | *** | ** | * | Young
People's
AV Awards | event
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