A team from Huddersfield Video & Cine Club is shown on projection duty at the weekend: Jim Kenworthy, David Whitworth and Derek Lawton. Hiding behind a trellis screen at the front right of the ballroom they controlled public address and projection for the event. Screenings included a selection by the NERIAC Council, the inter-Region Mermaid and Mini-Mermaid competitions, promotions for coming events, the NERIAC competition and many extracts from the local television programmes featuring John Grundy which were the highlight of the weekend. The Autumn Festival is a chance to relax in the company of fellow movie enthusiasts, see an interesting part of the country and enjoy plenty of good movies.  NERIAC did us proud.  The Cairns Hotel was a familiar venue - Movie 99 Festival was held there - and it afforded a fascinating mix of good service from a young staff and the architecture of a different age.  For example the fading grandeur of the dining room was tweaked by a gleaming Harley-Davison motorbike behind the bar in one corner.

Friday Delegates who arrived on Thursday night or early Friday enjoyed a trip to York where they could explore the Viking era at the award-winning Jarvik Centre, complete with the sights, sounds and smells the period, or admire the past and present giants of the railways at the National Railway Museum.  (Those who went there got an unexpected bonus: seeing the Flying Scotsman steaming out of York Station. On Friday evening a special program of AV Sequences was presented by the team from AV World magazine: Peter Coles and Colin Balls with sequences from themselves and Ron Davies. Between them they run the magazine which is packed with news for AV workers. Between them they have a mountain of trophies and their sequences show it. *

Saturday The Saturday trip to the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford was so popular that an additional bus was required. Although the ticket included admission to the IMAX Cinema presentation on Egypt many of the group stayed on at additional cost to see the 3D IMAX  presentations. Everyone explored the fascinating exhibits which trace the history of photography from its beginnings right up to date. A lucky dozen even managed a backstage tour of the archive area where thousands of prints, cameras and pieces of equipment are preserved in temperature and humidity-controlled conditions. 153 people attended the Gala Dinner on Saturday night. A highlight of that  was the presentation of IAC Fellowships - and for once all those receiving Honours were actually there. Fellowships were awarded to Derek Mathieson, George Theaker, and Basil Doody. Honorary Fellowships were awarded to Roger Burgess (TV Producer/Director) and David Cleveland of the East Anglian Film Archive.

Sunday Morning To make the IAC's national AGM more palatable it was preceded by The Mermaid Competition, in which IAC Regions compete with movies which, by tradition, are light-hearted.  The winner was North Thames Region with the hilarious 1940's spoof film trailer Big Break. The Mini-Mermaid Trophy, for movies under 60 seconds long,  went to CEMRIAC for Popcorn Duck. The Annual General Meeting itself follows a standard pattern prescribed by law.  The accounts and report of the directors were adopted.  A welcome pleasure was the election of four new members to  national Council: Michael and Linda Gough from NERIAC David Newman from CEMRIAC Bernard See from SERIAC All were warmly welcomed by national Chairman Kenneth Seeger.  He also paid tribute to those retiring from Council after long, distinguished service: Norman and Dorothy Speirs from Scotland and David Anstice from SOCO. Eric Granshaw's period as President came to an end and Val Ellis was appointed as successor.

Sunday Afternoon The packed audience was thoroughly amused and enlightened by Sunday's guest speakers. John Grundy has become a household name in the North East presenting a series of local TV programmes on urban and social environments. However he is proud to declare his "amateur" status and passion since his "day job" is as a teacher of English. His production colleagues Roger Burgess and Paul Paxton added their own vital insights into how such programmes are made. A number of people in the audience had their eyes opened to the possibility of finding such fascinating subjects in their own home towns.

Sunday Evening The evening provided an extra item for those who could stay longer. NERIAC were presenting the results of their Annual Competitions. First Newcastle ACA took the Olive Whitfield Trophy and a £25 Jessops Voucher for The Chairman's Challenge. This was for a Club entry to the theme "If Only". Their winning comedy was called 'Twas Just A Thought and they were congratulated on having won the Competition three years in succession. In the main Competition the overall winner was Ken Wilson with a tale of a vicious stalker in Watching. This also won the Award for Best Editing. Roy and Jean Vickers won the Award for the Best Non-Fiction with The Shoe Master. Runners up were Fred Wells for The Time 'Con'juror (Fiction) and Michael Gough FACI for A Breathe of Life (Non-fiction) This also won the Award for Best Photography. The Award for the Most Creative Use of Sound went to Harry Nicholls for Blaze Away who also won a Certificate of Merit for his other movie Past Is Present. Other Certificates of Merit went to David Whitworth LACI for The Puzzle, Sid and Doris Lythe for The Adelaide Show and George Senior for The Forgotten Village.

This year's Festival saw a very encouraging attendance with over 180 people attending at least part of the Festival. The resident members of the IAC came from the following Regions:- CEMRIAC 11 EARIAC 2 NERIAC 61 North Thames 25 North West 10 Scotland 11 SERIAC 16 SOCO 2

* To subscribe to AV World magazine send your name and address with a suitable cheque to Ron Davies, 15 Ladybridge Avenue, Worsley, Manchester M28 3BP.
Fees in GBP: UK residents £14, EEC £15, non-EEC £16. All copies mailed direct.

Page updated on 21 March 2008

Authors' views are not necessarily those of The Institute of Amateur Cinematographers

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