Competitions We Take Part In

We take part in two annual competitions with other local clubs, HACCA and the Joe Kay Trophy.

This is an annual competition among four clubs in south Hertfordshire: Hemel Hempstead, Potters Bar, St Albans, and us. The clubs take turns to host it. Each club shows any number of films on any subject, up to twenty-five minutes total running time. There are three judges who are experienced film-makers, usually from other nearby clubs who are not in the competition. (Until recently, a club in Watford also took part, but we haven't seen them for the last few years.)

The winning club is the one which, in the judges' opinion, has shown the best film of the evening. The judges evaluate films both on entertainment value and various technical matters. There's no money involved, but the winning club gets a small trophy to keep, and a shield which they hold until the next competition.

In recent years, we've won three times, with the following films:

• In 1994 with The Message (science fiction), directed by Ben Simon
• In 1996 with Making Memories (a video to a song), made by Peter Norman
• In 1998 with The Benchwatchers of Borehamwood (comedy), directed by Fraser Brown

We also won second place in 2005, with Grand Junction Ninety, made by Steve Pemberton and Breda Quirke, a documentary about a Cornish beam engine at Kew Bridge Steam Museum in south-west London.

We won third place in 2006, with Spinnaker by Roy Osgood, a documentary about the construction of the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. (Photo of Roy with the certificate he received for this achievement.)

In 2008, we got an honorable mention for Monet's Garden by Peter and Barbara Norman.

In 2010, Unintended Consequences, directed by Paul Welton, came second.

In 2011, What's In A Name? directed by Vince Brown, came third.

In 2012, Escape Velocity Trailer, directed by Steve Pemberton, came second.

Joe Kay was a member of Edgware Amateur Cine Society in London in the 1960s. He was well-known for his entertaining films, many of which were animated. When he died in 1968, our club presented a trophy in his memory, to be competed for annually by the two clubs. The Edgware club closed in 1995, but many of its members went to Harrow Cine and Video Society. Harrow therefore agreed to continue the competition with us.

The competition is judged purely on entertainment value, with no consideration of technical issues. To this end, the judges are ordinary members of the public, who know nothing about the processes involved in film-making. Each club appoints two judges. They judge the programmes as a whole, not any individual films. Each programme consists of any number of films on any subject, up to forty minutes total running time.

When the competition was between Edgware and ourselves, the two clubs were fairly evenly matched. Edgware won 15 times and Borehamwood 10. The last competition between Borehamwood and Edgware resulted in a draw, the only time this has happened. Since Harrow took over from Edgware, they have won eleven times and Borehamwood have won six. We won in 2001 (more about that), 2006 (more about that), 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2012.