Roll of Honour

There is a risk that we focus on today and tomorrow, while memories of yesterday fade.
This section lists some of the major trophies given by the IAC over more than three-quarters of a century.
Now most of the trophies are no longer used. They have been replaced by awards which winners can keep.
Most of the prize categories remain, however, and we update these lists each year.

Click on the images or trophy titles to see a larger photograph and list of winners.

The top award ... The Daily Mail Challenge Trophy
	The Best British Amateur - given when the Daily Mail Trophy winner is from overseas.			The Geoffrey Round Trophy - an award for best AV sequence.
	The Mini Cinema Cup - now awarded for outstanding Animation.			The Bassett Lowke Trophy - best film by an individual maker. Discontinued.
	The Bernard Ashby Trophy - for best editing.			The Harold A.Rowe Trophy - now awarded for best documentary.
	Best British Open - awarded to film students and people working in the film and television industries. Discontinued.			The Cressy-Hall Trophy - awarded first for abstract and experimental films and then for best video. Discontinued.
	The Denham Trophy (aka "The Alexander Korda Cup") presented by London Films Production Group - for Best Club Film			The J. Lizar's Trophy - best entry by a novice (first-time entrant). Discontinued.
	The Junior Trophy - best film by an entrant under 16.			The Le Hedan Trophy - for Acting
	IAC Challenge Trophy for Overseas Entries - best entry from outside Britain. Discontinued			The Peter Wilberforce Smith Tankard - best humorous entry.
	The IAC Sound Film Trophy - best use of sound.			The IAC Challenge Trophy for Best Story
	The Twyford Cup - best non-synch sound. Discontinued.			The Wallace Heaton Trophy - best photography.
	The Trophy for Best Youth Entry - entrants between 16 and 21			Assorted Awards - we are not sure which trophy these won!
	International Medallions - awarded to movies of an "international standard" regardless of their country of origin.
IAC Festivals Main Page

What Prize?

Many trophies have changed use over the years - a fact not immediately evident from their inscriptions. For example, a cup donated by the now-defunct magazine Mini-Cinema was first used for "technical proficiency" and is now awarded for "animation".  For several years the IAC Challenge Cups were not assigned to specific awards but given as the judges thought fit. These changes offer a fascinating insight into how our hobby has changed over the years.  Another way of looking at it is as an exercise in frustration!

I am enormously grateful to Gerald Mee for his generous assistance in studying and photographing many of the actual trophies and exploring old publications. Going through the magazines and festival programmes to fill in the gaps has been equally difficult because not all awards were reported in full and for some years not reported at all!  The sixties have proved especially difficult to research.  - Dave Watterson

What Years?

Some awards have been going since the 1930s, others began much more recently.  During the early 1950s festival moved for a few years from its usual Spring date to a late Autumn one. In 1956 the decision was made to return to a Spring date, but a six month gap between festivals was too small, so an eighteen month gap was left. Thus there was no festival in 1957.

Who and What Won?

In some cases movie makers' names are recorded but not movie titles. Names were recorded from entry forms and thus varied in format. We have made some attempt in this listing to use the modern convention of first given name + family name. For clubs we have used the name recorded at the time and so these often change over the years.

What's Missing?

Due to limited information this listing does not include:

• Amateur Cine World plaques
• Sheffield Photographic Cup

All information on these awards would be welcome.

There will be mistakes and omissions here and we would be grateful for corrections from members with good memories or better records.
(email corrections to:  webmaster@theiac.org.uk)

Page updated on 19 April 2010

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

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