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Roll of Honour

There is a risk that we focus on today and tomorrow, while memories of yesterday fade.
This section lists some of the major trophies given by the IAC over more than three-quarters of a century.
Now most of the trophies are no longer used. They have been replaced by awards which winners can keep.
Most of the prize categories remain, however, and we update these lists each year.

Click on the images or trophy titles to see a larger photograph and list of winners.


The Denham Cup for best club entry. Best Club Film
(The Denham Trophy)

presented by London Films Production Group
The trophy for Best Junior entry. Best Junior Entry
by an entrant under the age of 16.
The Trophy for Best Youth Entry. Best Youth Entry
by an entrant between the ages of 16 and 21
Diamond. Diamond Awards
International Medallions
awarded to movies of an "international standard".
The Le Hedan trophy for best acting. Best Acting
The Le Hedan Trophy
The Peter Wilberforce Smith Tankard for humour. Best Humorous Entry
(The Peter Wilberforce Smith Tankard
)
The 'Mini Cinema Cup' now given for Animation. Best Animation
(The Mini Cinema Cup
)
The Bernard Ashby Trophy for editing. Best Editing
(The Bernard Ashby Trophy
)
The Wallace Heaton Trophy for best photography. Best Photography
(The Wallace Heaton Trophy)
The Harold A. Rowe Trophy for documentary. Best Documentary
(Harold A.Rowe Trophy)
No photograph available. Best by an
individual film maker

(The Bassett Lowke Trophy
)
Now discontinued.
The British Open Trophy. Best British Open
- film students and people working in the film and television industries.
Now discontinued.
The Cressy-Hall Trophy. The Cressy-Hall Trophy
- awarded first for abstract and experimental films and then for best video. Now discontinued.
The Cup for Best Overseas Entry. Best Overseas Entry
Now discontinued
No photograph available. J. Lizar's Trophy
- best entry by a novice (first-time entrant).
Now discontinued.
No photograph available. The Twyford Cup
- best non-synch sound.
Now discontinued
.
What Prize?

Many trophies have changed use over the years - a fact not immediately evident from their inscriptions. For example, a cup donated by the now-defunct magazine Mini-Cinema was first used for "technical proficiency" and is now awarded for "animation".  For several years the IAC Challenge Cups were not assigned to specific awards but given as the judges thought fit. These changes offer a fascinating insight into how our hobby has changed over the years.  Another way of looking at it is as an exercise in frustration!

I am enormously grateful to Gerald Mee for his generous assistance in studying and photographing many of the actual trophies and exploring old publications. Going through the magazines and festival programmes to fill in the gaps has been equally difficult because not all awards were reported in full and for some years not reported at all!  The sixties have proved especially difficult to research.  - Dave Watterson

What Years?

Some awards have been going since the 1930s, others began much more recently.  During the early 1950s festival moved for a few years from its usual Spring date to a late Autumn one. In 1956 the decision was made to return to a Spring date, but a six month gap between festivals was too small, so an eighteen month gap was left. Thus there was no festival in 1957.

Who and What Won?

In some cases movie makers' names are recorded but not movie titles. Names were recorded from entry forms and thus varied in format. We have made some attempt in this listing to use the modern British convention of given name + family name. For clubs we have used the name recorded at the time and so these often change over the years.

What's Missing?

Due to limited information this listing does not include:

  • Amateur Cine World plaques
  • Sheffield Photographic Cup

All information on these awards would be welcome.

There will be mistakes and omissions here and we would be grateful for corrections from members with good memories or better records. (Please email corrections to:  webmaster@theiac.org.uk)