THE BIAFF FESTIVAL 2017

A forum for sharing views on the art of film, video and AV sequence making as well as on competitions, judging and festivals.
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TimStannard
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Re: THE BIAFF FESTIVAL 2017

Post by TimStannard »

Michael Slowe wrote:there is no yardstick whereby the standards of films can be measured.
So not worth discussing then. Drat!
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
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fraught
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Re: THE BIAFF FESTIVAL 2017

Post by fraught »

TimStannard wrote: But the number of five stars isn't limited, is it?
You comment that there were "only" thirteen five stars (plus the 8 diamonds) in 2017.
In the previous year there were only eight.
There were also only 49 four star awards.
The largest group of films for both years (and for as long as I can remember) are in the three star category.
This "bell curve" is pretty much as one might expect and as standards improve over the years (if indeed they do) one might expect the curve to remain even though the standard for each category rises. Otherwise after 50 years we might end up with all films being awarded five stars, thus rendering it rather meaningless.

As to whether you should change your film in the light of comments only you can decide that. But I would only suggest you change anything if you find yourself agreeing with the comment. If you change it but don't agree, you are no longer making the film you want to make - something I believe is the greatest privilege we have as amateurs.
Totally agree with this Tim. Well put.
Only Boring People Get Bored
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Willy
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Re: THE BIAFF FESTIVAL 2017

Post by Willy »

Maybe I am as stubborn as a Guersney donkey. posting.php?mode=reply&f=8&t=3731# I don't agree with some of you about that "curve". I am sure I am not the only one. We are only 6 or 7 in this discussion or "debate". From time to time I learn something from friends who have already been a member of a BIAFF judging panel.

High standard?
The number of 5 star awards the last ten years were the following ones: starting from 2018 ... 5, 10, 14, 9, 10, 12, 7, 9, 8 and 13. In one of my previous mails I asked you if it would be acceptable if there would at BIAFF 30 five stars! "A soft approach would tend to devaluate the awards that are given", Michael said. I agree with him. A five must be worth a five. But I still think that an exceptional year with 30 five star awards must also be possible. Michael is also right when he says: I'm sorry to say that the standard does not seem to rise year by year." Don't we even tend to claim this before BIAFF has taken place or before having seen all films?

Some weeks ago we had our regional competition. Now the chairman of our region (called PROVAC) has sent a letter with the following statement to all his members: "I am very happy that the films made by the younger ones (he means the ones between their fifties and sixties) were the best, but we must admit that the standard was not so high this year..." This may also happen to BIAFF. So has said this after having seen all the films.

Have altered my film
In the mean time I have altered my film, Michael. Even in a drastical way. I have shortened it from 23 minutes to 18 minutes! I could not resist. Why have I done this? BIAFF is finished. But it could still be a useful documentary to be screened in one or another club. Up to now there are no other international film festivals except the Austrian once perhaps. The longer the film the more chance one has to detect possible mistakes. In a competition judges get tired after some time and I we can't blame them for it. That's also my own feeling when judging one film after another being "far from home" and being under pressure of time. It can even be exhausting. We have already said this one hundred times. And there is also the indisputable fact that not everybody is interested in the theme of your film and they may find it boring. After havinf altered my film I can't say it is better. I can't say it has lost some of its charm or its power. Tomorrow I will screen it for the 20the time in my club.

In my club we often watch films made by filmmakers that we don't know. Then we try to evaluate them. I ask my friends to mention the qualities first, afterwards the possible defects. This seems to be a difficult exercise. posting.php?mode=reply&f=8&t=3731#
Willy Van der Linden
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