As with the Kent Film Festival, the Sussex also faced difficulties this year in the run up to the event and it is only through the sheer hard work of the
new organising committee that it took place at all.

In my opinion, this was the best Sussex Festival yet and from the comments I overheard at the end of the show this opinion was shared by many
others too.

Due to outside pressures both Keith Sayers (ex Competition Offlcer)and Angela Weston (ex Chairman and Catering Officer) had to step down from the committee but their places were ably taken by Rachel Pritchard and Nigel Cronk who ran the Competition and Mrs Baldock who headed the new catering team. Keith, nevertheless, still found time to do all the printing including the Festival Programme with its full colour cover.

We must not forget to thank the other committee members either namely, Reg Townsend, Richard Mercer, lan Wingate and Mike Godel who all played
their part in making the Festival such a success.

There were 25 entries shown over 3 film sessions which is remarkable when you consider that the entry forms could not be prepared in time for
circulation in SERIAC NEWS and had Mike Coad to be posted individually to eligible members and clubs. Whilst several Festivals have not seen an entry on film for some years, this is the first time that the Sussex was an all video affair.

I could see that leading up to the start of the show the committee were slightly worried whether they would get a reasonable audience (a situation not
uncommon to most organising committee's) but as things turned out, they had one of their highest ever with 70 people coming through the door only
surpassed by the 72 who attended in 1996.

The judging was ably undertaken by Christine Collins, FACI, Daphne Brown, LACI and Penny Love, LACI, all members of Potters Bar Cine &
Video Society.

My own personal favourites were 'Herculaneum' by Len Skipper (Highly Commended) and 'The Inventor' by Rod Willerton (Commended) but the judges had a hard task to sort out the top award winners from a very varied programme.

If you were unable to attend, I would urge you to get to the SERIAC Festival on Sunday 28th March 2004 where hopefully you will have another
chance to see many of the entries.

Here then is the full list of award winners:-

THE SUSSEX CHALLENGE CUP
Ron Prosser for the film "Tiddlers"

THE FESTIVAL CLUB TROPHY
Haywards Heath Cine & Video Club for the film "The Late Mr. Me Kenna"

THE PEGGY ROGERS EDITING SHIELD
Ron Prosser for the film "Tiddlers"

THE PATHFINDERS SOUND TROPHY
Ron Prosser for the film "Tiddlers"

THE DOCUMENTARY TROPHY
Danny Jarman for the film "Robin + 5"

THE DRAMA TROPHY
Ron Prosser for the film "Tiddlers"

THE COMEDY TROPHY
Southdowns Video & Film Makers for the film "The Duke's Breakfast"

THE TRAVELOGUE TROPHY
Rod Willerton for the film "Around The Lake"

THE AMINATION TROPHY
Eleanor AgiusFor the film "Matilda"

THE JUNIOR TROPHY
Chantal Bluck For the film "The Haunted Attic"

THE ONE MINUTE TROPHY
Pam Baker For the film "Can't Cook, Wont cook"

BEST ACTING PERFORMANCE
Barney Bowe in "The Late Mr. Me Kenna"
Produced by Haywards Heath Cine & Video Club

THE FOLLOWING WERE HIGHLY COMMENDED
Chantal Bluck for the film "Why Tell A Lie"
Keith Baker for the film "The 19th Floor"
Mr Skipper For the film "Herculaneum"

THE FOLLOWING WERE COMMENDED
Rod Willerton for the film "The Inventor"
Mike Morris for the film "The World Of Swans"
The Mid Sussex Camcorder & Cine Society f or the film "Mid Sussex Martial Arts School"

- Source: Seriac News January/February 2004 by Mike Coad

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

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