IAC DISCUSSION FORUMS

Sorry Mike, I did mean to mention you as well!

Dave's idea is certainly one that I will follow, a drink and natter before the Saturday evening reception but it doesn't leave much time for us older ones to have a kip before dinner! The people who can't make it will surely make themselves known at other times during the week end.

You didn't mean to mention me? (I think I know what you meant!)

I, too, will try to wake up early enough for a pre-dinner natter and tipple....

And do not forget Ian and some other ones... A very friendly man. But he left me alone on the Continent. He left France some time ago. Now he lives in an English field with thousands of golden daffodils. "Oh to be in England when April is there!

I'll be at the bar after the Saturday shows. My B&B is just round the corner. A 7 minutes' walk they said.

For me a double whisky, Michael! I prefer Glenmorangie. Pure, not on the rocks! Cheers!

Perhaps you won't recognize me. I used to have an English moustache. Now, its' a beard. I look even more intelligent! (Joking, joking, joking... please, do not always believe what I have written!). I have the genes of my grannie. Clara was the young maidservant of an intelligent world famous man and she got pregnant! It happened in those days... But when I tell this true story people may think I am a dreamer.

Willy, you do sometimes write a lot of rubbish and of course I'll recognise you. Didn't I make a film of you speaking at one BIAFF dinner some years back?

Mike, I did say that I meant to mention you, you've either misread my mail or your computer is printing different words than mine! Don't forget to wake up, set an alarm, I have one of these stupid iphones but the alarm facility is rather good.

That's weird! Yes ... the post seems to read differently now I've put my glasses on. I'll obviously have to ease back on the malts ... im shor mi compooter woodnt mispell nor nuthin.

Befuddled of West Wikkam

Hope you all have a good time!
Willy said - I remember an Italian one about puppets on a string, but ... I myself preferred a feature film at that festival.
I've just been attempting to copy that BIAFF SVHS tape to DVD. Don't know why as the photocopy of the FVM page says it's on Mini DV and DVD but perhaps they've got lost. Anyway the tape is what Val sent me to do but my digital equipment has introduced dropouts so will have to do it again.
So half an hour ago we watched the puppets and loved it and I have to say that this is since I said on another post that, mostly, we weren't overimpressed by the BIAFF shows we've hired. Yet here I've had the opportunity to see one with Michael Slowe's "On Silk" on as well plus a comedy that I wouldn't know how to make and a garage documentary that I would have been glad to have made.
All in all a jolly interesting programme.
Tom said judges want to be entertained not informed (I think were his words).
How come they are judging documentaries then?
I haven't the imagination to make a feature so I agree that makes me less of an artist than those who can make features.
But a documentary can show good editing, photography, good sound, good script and quite likely tells you something being done that you didn't know about before adding to the sum of your knowledge. In many cases you cannot say to the subject of the documentary "Can you do that again, please?" the wood's been cut, the glass split, whatever and they are not always people who can be kept waiting either, unlike actors who, I've read, can be kept hanging around.
Does the literary world have novels competing with biographies? I don't know.
Anyway - keep doing what you do best.
Cheers,
Peter.
Surely that's a good thing.

''Tom said judges want to be entertained not informed (I think were his words). How come they are judging documentaries then?''

What I actually said was, 'but what they're really looking for is entertainment rather than education', a far from subtle difference. But you seem to be asking a strange question Peter. They're judging documentaries because they've been entered into competition, as simple as that.

But documentaries can be hugely entertaining, as Man Alive, Equinox, The Frozen Planet, Horizon, On Silk all testify.

tom.

Sorry to misquote you, Tom. Agreed there is a difference, and we also have a different understanding over the meaning of 'entertain'. My dictionaries start the definition with 'amuse', but one does say 'occupy agreeably', not, I would have said, the prime purpose of a documentary, which could be about why politicians have to talk tough and get us into conflicts, for example, if one had the knowledge to make one truthfully.
Perhaps we have to accept that documentaries intended primarily to inform or educate without the TV-style presenter to jolly things along are 'not suitable for competition' at IAC festivals.
Peter.

'fraid I disagree ... I find informative and educational documentaries entertaining and interesting. I do like a good laugh, but I also think there is much to be amused and amazed at in this world, and good, well produced factual documentaries (and travalogues) are a good source. I think they are very 'suitable' - and would not like to seem them removed from our competitions at all.

I don't think anyone was suggesting we shouldn't have documentaries at BIAFF, Mike!

I agree wholeheartely. If the subject matter engages me, I will find an informative and educational documentary entertaining - even if it is fairly dry - and I guess that goes for most people.

But the subject matter has to engage me first. If I'm already interested in the subject - then it's not an issue. If, as is more often the case, I've never really given the subject matter much thought before, the film first needs to capture my interest and the way to do that is to make it entertaining.

This role of a documentary film maker is much like that of a teacher - it's easy to teach those who are already interested, the skill is in engaging those who aren't and the (only?) way to do that is through entertainment.

FOLLOWING A SENSIBLE SUGGESTION FROM MICHAEL SLOWE I HAVE MOVED THE LAST FEW MESSAGES FROM THIS TOPIC INTO THE NEW ONE CALLED: re: BIAFF 2012 RESULTS - Dave