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Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:51 pm
by fraught
Cheers for that Dave. The only reason i was asking was that both sets of comments for the films really complimented the acting... and as there is a best acting award, i wondered if any of them were in the running?

I'm told both films will be shown on the Saturday so I'm guessing we're not shortlisted for any of the other 'Best' awards.

Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:54 pm
by ned c
Congratulations to our latest director Katie Patterson Hullet with three stars for her dance video "Second Sense" and four stars for "La Cantina" to be screened on April 14th.
ned c (for The Space Between)

Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 3:22 pm
by Mike Shaw
Fraught made 8-Ball? Oh, now I shall be all a-blush ... I was one of the judges for that - and writ the crit (as will have been seen by now!): excellent film. Yes the acting was good, but I have to say the competition for acting - just from (some of) the films that I saw, was extremely high this year. We don't get to choose those awards thopugh - that's down to other judges.

Just for the record ... no, we don't get to judge our own films! (Nor any films from our own regions). What's more, we don't even know which of the judges present has judged our films - and they are never discussed in our presence, so we truly have no clue as to who the judges for our own films are, nor what the rating is. I had to wait for my 'result' as everyone else.

I can say I saw a couple of the 5 star films that were truly very outstanding in every sense. One actually brought a tear or two to my eyes. That takes some film-making!

Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 3:39 pm
by TimStannard
Well, I ended up with a two-, a three, and a four-star so I guess I got all bases covered.

The four star was for my Merry Xmas 2010 which will be familiar to many on the forum. Indeed it was largely down to the encouragement of the comments here that I entered it in BIAFF. As it's just a fun family film, made for our own amusement I struggle to see beyond that. And now it's won me my first four star and is being shown at BIAFF on the Sunday.

So thanks guys!

Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 3:55 pm
by Willy
Dave Watterson wrote: Willy, do you know which of your films will be shown? Michael?

Dave the curious
Many thanks for telling me that it's my birthday on Saturday, 17th March, Dave. It's also St.Patrick's Day. You will be 56, and I will be 99. Time passes very quickly.

My films "Iter ad Paradisum" (11min) and "Say Wensleydale Cheese" will be shown on Saturday. In the morning or in the afternoon. I don't know.

Do not be disappointed, Pqtrick or Ian. Ian is your real name isn't it? Some years ago you were sitting next to me at the Gala dinner. Last year you were filming. I remember you wanted to ask me some questions in French for your film, but I was not in the mood to speak French. J'étais surpris, mon ami. Mes excuses. Maybe your film will be successful at other international festivals just like last year.

Yes, I still have health problems, but I will do my best to get to Weymouth by car. In December I made the film "The Apple of My Eye". I did most of the camera work while sitting. I was always saying to myself :"Yes, I can!" The film got three stars. In England I always feel better. So, ...

Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 7:19 pm
by Emily
(first I thought I should ask this on the newcomers section, but it seems that this place is more suitable for my question)

I'm completely new to this whole Festival thing, I'm a newbie in all possible ways, I've sent my film, got 4 stars (which sounds pretty decent, I guess), but I've absolutely no idea how good/bad is that, what goes on next, I am somewhat familiar with the festival schedule but I would certainly appreciate more detailed information.

Please don't hate me for such a stupid post, I really browsed through this whole forum and the website, but I still felt the need to ask for explanations this way. Thanks :)

Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 9:20 pm
by Dave Watterson
Hi Emily,
Welcome here. And if you got 4-stars with a first film that is awesome. The people on this thread you have been reading are among the best film makers in Europe and some have been topping the awards list for decades ... yet as you will have read they mainly got 4-stars this time.

Officially the star ratings mean that the film:
1 = needs more thought and skill.
2 = shows promise but requires greater discipline, care and attention.
3 = is well made, technically competent, keeps our interest and/or entertains.
4 = is exceptionally well-made, entertains, makes us care / learn / think.
5 = is one of the best, outstanding movies
A diamond award means the film is world class.

Very roughly a 3-star film is the kind that would win most club competitions and do well at regional competitions. A 4-star film stands a good chance of winning in regional competitions.

I don't have the detailed figures yet (I've seen a bar-chart of results) but out of 276 entries:
around 7 got diamonds
around 10 got 5-stars
around 70 got 4-stars
around 100 got 3-stars
around 85 got 2-stars
around 5 got 1-star

At the festival: on Saturday from 9.30am to 5pm there will be four mini-cinemas (hotel meeting rooms set up as cinemas) showing a selection of 5, 4 and 3 star films. Each has a different programme, which we will list on the website as soon as we get the details.
There are two sessions in the morning and two in the afternoon. You can move from cinema to cinema in the tea and lunch breaks. One session will be devoted to youth films.

On Sunday from 9.30am to 5pm there will be one cinema (the hotel's banqueting room) showing all the top winners and maybe a couple of others to give a varied programme. For example if the top films are all very serious, a short comedy may be slipped in even if it did not get 5-stars.

Overall about 118 films will be shown ... but of course since you cannot be in four mini-cinemas at once, no one will be able to see that many!

There is a real buzz ... despite the fact that many festival visitors are old farts like me. It is an expensive weekend if you stay in the hotel and go to the gala dinner etc. Those with more sense than money often use cheaper B&Bs and get day tickets. There will be visitors from Austria, Belgium, France and probably the Netherlands. We never know who else may come along. We had a 15 year-old from Bulgaria fly over one year. Several times there have been delegates from South Korea, Germany, Norway ...

If you can get to Weymouth try to do so ... whether your film is being shown or not. If your film is scheduled for showing, your award letter should have mentioned that. But in any case going to a BIAFF is a great way to meet people and find out what is possible in our amateur film world.

I had better stop there or I will get carried away. No doubt others will have advice. In the meantime what was your film called? What genre was it? (Comedy, documentary ... )

Dave

Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 10:39 pm
by Pqtrick
Do not be disappointed, Pqtrick or Ian. Ian is your real name isn't it? Some years ago you were sitting next to me at the Gala dinner.
Thanks your message Willy. Yes I did sit next to you at a dinner at BIAFF Chesterfield. I have to be repatriated back home to Lyon by Air Ambulance because I picked a bug. (Seriously it was First Class via Air France and private Ambulance). We now live in the UK.

That now done. I'm Pqtrick not Ian or Pqddy. The 'q' is an 'a' because as you know of the French Keyboard.

Now for the serious stuff, before I get evicted for being 'off piste'. I am not really disappointed in the result. Suppose status quo is no bad thing, at least I am not going backwards.

Hope to see you at BIAFF, Christine is bullying me to come. If you drive over here, you'll need a bank loan for the fuel. In our area essence is £1.43 per litre.
Good Health!
Patrick

(How do you use the 'quote' button. I will have to ask the oracle.

Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:02 am
by Michael Slowe
Yes, it is correct that you are told about awards when you get the initial letter. Last year I had very early information but (Sods Law) couldn't attend the festival! This year, only a four, so a Saturday showing I'm told.

Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:10 am
by Dave Watterson
For Willy, Pqtrick and others puzzled ...

To use the quote button: select the words you want to mark as quoted, so that they are highlighted on your screen, then click the "Quote" button. That simply puts those words into the special format:
Here is a question.
On your editing screen as you write the message it will look like:
Here is a question.[ /quote]

I have added a space between the code word "quote" and the square brackets so that you can see the code without it simply working for a second time.

If you want to specify who said those words you must type it into the quoted words:
As Dave said: Here is a question.[ /quote] which appears as
As Dave said: Here is a question.
Is that clear as mud?
I almost always use the Preview button to check what my message will look like. Then I can make changes before clicking Submit.

Dave

Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 4:25 pm
by TimStannard
Dave Watterson wrote: Officially the star ratings mean that the film:
That, together with the stats and the description of how films are selected for showing at the festival, make for a fantastic post, Dave. Thanks.

I agree, Emily's success in getting four stars in her first ever entry is fantastic

Though I was somewhat surprised to see you use the term "awesome".

Can we expect to see you arrive at BIAFF on a skateboard, before doing a bit of "parkour" around the theatre? :wink:

Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 5:35 pm
by Pqtrick
Dave Waterson wrote:There is a real buzz ... despite the fact that many festival visitors are old farts like me.
Speak for one's self!

I am only trying out the quote unquote! I had to tinker a number of times to make work. I did not realise that you have to had to have a new message started. When I clicked on the quote I wanted, the word ="Emily" appeared between the quotation marks. So by some cunningly magic I retyped "Dave Waterson" and it worked

I thought you used to write software manuals !!!
Pq :?

Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:48 pm
by Emily
Dave,

thank you so much for such a great, detailed post, I would've been so lost without those facts :) I suppose I should be more than happy with my success then, this being my first 'real' movie. I'm definitely going to attend the festival, my film is scheduled for Saturday, just to organize the trip and the stay (I can stay in some B&B, not in a hotel, as I understood?), and I'm looking forward to meeting you all. :) Is there anything I need to buy now (such as tickets) or I can do that when I arrive?
Oh, and I'm 22 so 'awesome' is a kind of term I still use regularly :wink:
In the meantime what was your film called?
My film is called "The Raven", my own version of Poe's poem.

Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 11:41 pm
by Dave Watterson
And you can handle quotes!

I suspect the Hotel Rembrandt is almost full, so you would have to go elsewhere anyway. Weymouth is full of small hotels, guest houses and B&Bs ... but because of the Olympic sailing which takes place there, you should book a place quickly. The Weymouth tourist people should be able to help you find one near the Hotel Rembrandt.

SoCo magazine says:
Day Tickets Selling Fast
We are making available a limited number of Day Passes. If ordered in advance from David Martin (david@mysoco.org) passes are at the reduced rate of £5 for Saturday or Sunday. It would be unwise to just turn up hoping to pay £7.50 on the door, as admission is by ticket only and they may well be sold out.
If you want to go to the Gala Dinner SoCo say:
It may be possible to attend the Gala Dinner as a day visitor at £35, but only if space is available after the residential packages have been taken up.
The dinner is a chance to get to know at least one table-worth of people, hear some speeches, watch a few people getting fellowships and have some entertainment. Many people find it more entertaining to watch tv in their B&B or seek out a local club/pub. But don't quote me on that!

Dave

Re: DEADLINE FOR IAC WEBSITE COMPETITION and BIAFF 31 Jan

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:41 am
by Michael Slowe
Yes, well done Emily, I've been making films for nearly 50 years and have been lucky enough to have experienced top awards, but this year got the same as you. There you go, one old man on the way down, one young lady on the way up!

Can I make a plea to Dave and our fellow correspondents? Can we arrange to meet at BIAFF so that we all can see who we are writing to? There seem to be about ten of us regulars, how do we arrange this Dave? I don't mind buying the drinks!