As any of you involved in organising a film festival will know, a huge amount of preparation and planning goes in to any such event. Our 2005 show was no exception.

For the past few years we have hired a local club for our shows, but there is a seating capacity of 60 and we were always very near to this limit.

I decided we needed a bigger venue, but it was not easy. Costs were always going to be critical, as PHASE 4 has no fund raising events or finance of any kind. There are no subscriptions or joining fees at all and the premiere night was always intended to be self-financing.

Enquiries at arts centres and cinemas about hire charges proved that this idea would be financially out of the question. A local multiplex quoted over £300 for one screen for 2 hours (mid-week). Beyond our reach, undoubtedly.

Then we found a small theatre in Batley called The Dewsbury Little Theatre. Charges were £115 for the evening, so it was booked.

In the run up to November 19th 2005, editing continued frantically. It was going to be down to the wire this time and the last new film took 40 hours to cut together. Then we had notes to write, raffle prizes and drinks to buy, last minute checks with the caterers, a running order to plan and so on.

It was on the Thursday, that our caterers told us they would not be able to deliver. We have had this discussion every year and I was unfazed. They always go through the: “We don't deliver on Saturdays” routine, but always do in the end.

This time it was different. They were adamant and we would have to collect everything.

I had been in a panic about the video equipment in recent weeks as I had provisionally sorted things out months ago, only to find that the person supplying it all had forgotten that I had asked him and was going away for the weekend of the 19th of November. I was given the name of Trevor, an enthusiast from Huddersfield Cine/ Video club. Trevor was a star and said he could bring anything we wanted.

So we were to meet him at the theatre at 3.00pm on Saturday, to set things up. Our helpers turned up as expected to set tables, unload drinks, raffle prizes etc, but no Trevor. We left our friends Emma and Dave to guard the fort as we drove in two cars to get the food from the bakery before it shut at 4.30pm. A mobile phone call from outside the bakery back to Emma at the theatre, confirmed that Trevor still had not arrived. Panic set in and I was forming hasty back up plans as we drove the food back to the theatre. At this point, 90 minutes late, Trevor arrived. He had been stuck in Saturday “Match” traffic. Whew, what a relief that was!

Food was unloaded, projector, speakers and screen were set up, photos from 20 years of PHASE 4 were pinned up and a microphone connected for our introduction and links.

Then a mad 20 minute dash back home to grab a quick snack and to get changed. Phone calls were coming in on mobiles from people who were lost and I was holding food with one hand and the phone with the other.

Additional equipment such as a mic extension and a spotlight were collected and then another 20 minute dash back. People were arriving and stood outside in the cold. No staff had been provided from the theatre and I was the only one with a key. People were hastily brought in and given a drink as the equipment was finally set up and checked. The theatre was freezing cold as it was white with frost outside and the radiators were woefully unable to cope. I had rung the manager, a lady called Debbie, who was going out for the night, but she assured me the theatre would be warm later as the radiators got going.

It never did fully, though I discovered a thermostat in the cellar at the interval, which was found to be at a suspiciously low setting. I turned this up, but a bit too late to warm things up quickly enough.

So it was at 7.20pm, only a little late, we were actually underway.

From here on in, the show went well. The venue is excellent and a perfect view of the screen is available from anywhere in the theatre as it is set high up on the stage.

We included our three new films and two from our back catalogue in the show, plus five from our competition including the winner.

The top 4 films were:

1 “Coldfinger” by Robert Lorrimer.
2 “Telling Tales- A Half-open Drawer” by Margaret Rogers
3 (Joint) “Endings” by Peter and Richard Rouillard
3 “Cynthia`s Choice” by Atta Chui.

The films were all well received and there seemed to be general approval for the winner. Linda Gough closed the show with a presentation to Ken for 20 years of PHASE 4 FILMS made by the IAC.

Feedback has been very positive so far, excepting of course for the little matter of the heating. I am trying to get assurances that this would not be the case next year if we were to hire it again. It seems that the council own the building and such matters are up to them.

The competition attracted 23 entries totalling 5 hours of films, so it seems that there is a need to continue with our Fiction Film Competition if at all possible.

Watch this space.

- Ken Wilson      November 23rd 2005

Page updated on 21 March 2008

Authors' views are not necessarily those of The Institute of Amateur Cinematographers

Free JavaScripts provided
by The JavaScript Source