IAC DISCUSSION FORUMS

If there were Oscars for amateur/non-commercial films, they would be awarded at UNICA.

Instead of craft guilds selecting the short lists, national bodies such as the IAC for Britain, BDFA for Germany, FFCV for France and so on choose which films from their country to show. Each nation is allowed an hour of screen time. An international jury evaluates them, discusses them and eventually awards prizes.

But UNICA is much more than just a film festival.

It lasts a week and so there are excursions, meetings and events to let you rest your eyes. In 2017 you may have the chance to stand by the pitch in the Borussia Dortmund stadium, or take a cheap helicopter trip over this great city. Each year UNICA visits a different country. In 2018 we will be in the Czech Republic. In 2019 we aim for the Netherlands.

Each UNICA is different. At the 2016 one I met "King Stefan the Great", ate too many meals with five courses and apparently endless glasses of wine and schnapps. I gazed in awe at frescoes on monasteries and black pottery.

The 2017 event is 5-12th August in Dortmund, Germany ... http://www.unica2017.com for details.

And yes it is an international event, but announcements are all in the three official languages: English, French and German. A great many films from all sorts of countries are in English or have subtitles in English.

Hope to see you there!

I was not at BIAFF for personal reasons, but I have booked three nights at the IBIS Hotel in Dortmund. I didn't pay more than 60 euros for a double room for one night. That's very cheap. About £53. Days Inn Hotel is even cheaper and it's also very comfortable. I know because in England there are many Days Inn-hotels on the motorways and we sometimes spend the night in such a hotel. At Maidstone for instance.

The UNICA-programme says that the British films will be screened the first day which is a Sunday. Unfortunately I won't be able to see the Belgian ones the fourth or fifth day as we are leaving to Scotland a few days later. Scotland is my favourite country. I was also suprised that the distance between my village in Belgium and Dortmund is only 230 kilometres which is about 150 miles I think. That's what my navigation system in my car told me. For us it will be the first time after Blankenberghe. Now I must try to find out where the UNICA-festival takes place in Dortmund and if it is in walking distance. I never had a film at UNICA. That's what I missed. Maybe my movies were too long and perhaps not good enough or not special enough.

Great news, Willy!

Start at http://www.unica-web.com for information and there are links from there to the website, which the German hosts have built.

The venue is the Zeche Zollern - the headquarters of a former coal-minng company, itself once a mine. It is now a jewel on the industrial trail - a monument and museum - a cathedral of Victorian style with Art Deco touches. It is in the suburb of Bovinghausen.

If you are in the Ibis Dortmund West it is about 156 minutes by car to the Zeche Zollern.
If you are in the Ibis Dortmund City it is about 25 minutes by car.

If you - or any other reader - want more information - drop me a private message or email president@unica-web,com

Yes, Dave, the venue looks very impressive. The headquarters of a former coal mining company. We are in Dortmund West. It is the IBIS-hotel recommended by UNICA. Is it 156 minutes by car from the hotel to the venue? I hope that you have made a mistake. Of course you have. Maybe 15 or 16 minutes? Our neighbour next door says that the City Centre is also beautiful.

You are right! My typing finger slipped ! 15 or 16 minutes by car ...

Sorry.

Ok, that's better. I have even read now that Zeche Zollern is only 3 kilometres or 2 miles from our IBIS Hotel Dortmund West. "Geschichte and Kulturerbe". So it takes only a few minutes to get there by car.