Dave Watterson wrote:Would that not also involve a "black list" of people you never want to have as judges?
- Dave
That would be ridiculous. However, I prefer a mixed panel with ladies and gentlemen, with old and young people. It was possible in Guernsey. I only fear that young people, who still work very hard during the week, don't have so much time to write very detailed reports or spend a weekend in a hotel to watch and evaluate films all the time. We must accept and respect this.
Judges with bowler hats !
In Belgium the organisers sometimes ask the same judges every year. That's not good. Some of these gentlemen often carry a briefcase. They look very learned. They look like university professors. Please do not ask them what is in their briefcases. They are empty !
They don't wear bowler hats yet, but that's because bowler hats are typically English, otherwise they would do it.
However, these gentlemen have problems with the conjugation of the verb "zijn" (="to be"). This is something that you already learn in the primary school. Luckily they don't have to write long judges' comments. If you ask them about the films they have seen they are not able to give an analysis.
It already happened to me twice. I was the member of a judging panel. After the competition there was a discussion with the filmmakers. It's often like that in Belgium. Also at Unica there is a discussion which is good. My colleagues, who are frequently asked to judge films, asked me to answer all the questions of the audience, because ... A VIP who was sitting next to me even asked me : "What can I say about that film. Quick. Tell me ? Help me !" I could just whisper in his ear : "Tell the audience and the filmmaker that this reportage film is an excellent one for the local annual gala projection in a few weeks and that everybody will enjoy it. Congratrulate him." I didn't have the time to tell him more interesting things about that film in his ear. The VIP was very pleased that he could say all this.
I am not exaggerating now : Some years ago the wives of the judges were put in quarantaine during the screenings. They were not allowed to talk to the filmmakers.
That's what one of my friends told me. He was a judge at a national competition and his wife was with him.
I prefer judges with red noses, but with
some cultural background or judges who watch films all the time (professional critics) or judges who have already some good experience in making films or judges who can evaluate films in a very constructive way and write very good crits. I also like judges who don't take the names of the filmmakers or their reputation as a criterion , but the standard of their films. This is a risk when chosing the same judges every year. It's not possible to find all these qualities in one person. Black lists ... No ! Long lists with various people ... Yes !