IAC DISCUSSION FORUMS

"We regret that it is not usually possible to send individual films or tapes
overseas." I understand. This is one of the IAC-rules. But my friend Urbain
is a bit disappointed. His films "Dimato" and "Little Prince" are in the
IAC library. Some months ago he asked the IAC if he could hire a tape, but
he did not get any response. I had written the letter for him. He could not
get a tape with his own films on it ! Now he asked me to write this message.
I could not refuse because he is a member of the IAC and I also understand
him. Running the IAC - which is an English Film and Video Institute - is
not easy, but I think that my "compatriot" Urbain deserved a preferential
treatment. The discussion forum is not a Wailing Wall, but this time I would
like to help an IAC-member.
At this moment there is a heat-wave on the continent. Terrible. I am sweating!
You too ? Some days ago I was in Kent to film oasthouses with their white
cone-shaped roofs and other beautiful things. The sky was navy blue. I always
try to shoot films (for travelogues !) when the weather conditions are perfect.
My Belgian friends think that the weather is always fine in England.

"vanderlindenhig@telenet.be" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:

"We regret that it is not usually possible to send individual films or tapes
overseas." I understand. This is one of the IAC-rules. But my friend Urbain
is a bit disappointed. His films "Dimato" and "Little Prince" are in the
IAC library. Some months ago he asked the IAC if he could hire a tape, but
he did not get any response. I had written the letter for him. He could
not
get a tape with his own films on it ! Now he asked me to write this message.
I could not refuse because he is a member of the IAC and I also understand
him. Running the IAC - which is an English Film and Video Institute -
is
not easy, but I think that my "compatriot" Urbain deserved a preferential
treatment. The discussion forum is not a Wailing Wall, but this time I would
like to help an IAC-member.
At this moment there is a heat-wave on the continent. Terrible. I am sweating!
You too ? Some days ago I was in Kent to film oasthouses with their white
cone-shaped roofs and other beautiful things. The sky was navy blue. I always
try to shoot films (for travelogues !) when the weather conditions are
perfect.
My Belgian friends think that the weather is always fine in England.

Willy, I have just returned from sunny France and have seen your mail about
sending tapes overseas. Why does your friend need the IAC to do this? Doesn't
he keep masyer tapes of his films? He can run off a few copies and send
them where he wants, he doesn't have to use the library at all, just his
own archives. Maybe I misunderstood the problem.

Michael Slowe.

"Michael Slowe" <michael.slowe@btinternet.com> wrote:

"
Willy, I have just returned from sunny France and have seen your mail about
sending tapes overseas. Why does your friend need the IAC to do this?
Doesn't
he keep masyer tapes of his films? He can run off a few copies and send
them where he wants, he doesn't have to use the library at all, just his
own archives. Maybe I misunderstood the problem.

I will try to explain everything, Michael. Urbain Appeltans is the chairman
of a Belgian region. So he planned to organize a film show in his own region
using a hired IAC-tape with his own film on it together with some other interesting
ones. He had read in "Film and Video Maker" that hiring videotapes with
different films with a length of altogether 1 hour or more for a price of
£10 was/is possible. Of course he keeps tapes of his films, but I think that
he wanted to show other Belgian filmmakers that his film is in the English
Library. He is very proud that he has already been very successful at the
BIAFF up to now. And yes, why not ? I also remember that he wanted to select
some very entertaining films to guarantee a pleasant evening. On that tape
there was at least one useful film. One he had already seen at a festival
in England. To be honest : I myself already contacted some IAC-VIP's to talk
about this problem. They told me that perhaps we could talk about it in Blankenberghe
(UNICA). After all I think it's perhaps the best thing we can do. In my opinion
we should use the discussion forum more as a place in which we can exchange
our experiences as film makers rather than complaining about things. For
instance I found the discussion about the subtitles and about the quality
of the BIAFF-films very interesting. I wrote his message because Urbain
asked me to do so. One of the bad qualities of my character is that I cannot
refuse. It's difficult for me to say 'no'. The IAC is an excellent institution
and if we start discussing about things like that then people may think that
things go wrong in the Institute. The IAC does not deserve this. In fact
I myself should have waited until UNICA in September. My apologies. Nevertheless
I hope that in the future also overseas members can hire IAC-tapes. Good
subject to talk about in Blankenberghe !

Last weekend it was the last meeting with the members of my club "FOCUS"
this season. We will start again in September. We had dinner in a nice restaurant.
Food was excellent. We laughed a lot. We poked fun at our friends. We told
jokes. Everybody was very excited. It was great ! The end of the season
was fantastic. At about 1 am the waitress gave the bill, but she had made
a mistake ! Of course the poor lady had not done it on purpose. It took
about half an hour to sort out everything. The bill said that we had eaten
many giant icecreams and had drunk litres of Irish whiskey which was not
true. People at an other table had been so greedy. She admitted that she
had made a mistake. Now when we talk about that enjoyable evening some
members start talking about the problem with the bill. Do you understand
what I mean ? People who were not with us may have the feeling now that the
reunion was a disaster. In fact it was one of the most memorable evenings
we ever had with the members of our club. It's better that this IAC-forum
not a Wailing Wall otherwise people may think that mathings go wrong.