2022 Annual Competition

 

The Annual Competition is back after a two year hiatus, which means your chance to put your film up for consideration to be judged by an external panel and be eligible for an award at the OVFM Oscars, which will be on Tuesday March 22nd 2022. This year we are indebted to members of Teign Film Makers Club for agreeing to judge our films.

 

Because we are still operating remotely due to the current pandemic restrictions, we are forced to do things a little differently this year. First, everything will be handled online which means instead of a physical copy of your film, you submit a digital version. Your film needs to be in MP4 format only and send it to DAVID LAKER either via WETRANSFER or FILEZILLA by no later than FRIDAY 28th JANUARY !!

 

Secondly, as it is all being done online the usual £2 entry fee has been waived. You still have to fill out an entry form which again will be online via Google Docs, and should have already been sent to you by David Roman-Halliday by email.

 

A reminder of the rules can be found HERE.

 

Thanks for reading and good luck to everyone who enters a film.

OVFM CLUB MEETING TUESDAY March 3rd

 

Yes, I know we said at the last meeting this would be an evening of films from another club, but the Committee changed their mind and didn’t tell anyone!

They instead felt that since not all of the films entered onto the Annual Competition are shown during the year at club meetings for a variety of reasons, so, as the films are being sent to our independent judges on a Blu-ray compilation disc, we shall be showing the complete list of entries at this meeting so no film is going unseen this year!

And of course, if you enjoy a film after this session and want to see it again, you can check them all out HERE in the Members Section, so be sure you logged in to access the films.

So, we’ll see you on Tuesday for a packed night showcasing the best of the films in 2019 made by OVFM.

OVFM CLUB MEETING TUESDAY January 7th

 

No, I can’t believe it is 2020 already but it is and the start of a new year means concluding some unfinished business from 2019, namely the TOP TEN competition!

The three individual qualifying rounds were held over the latter half of the year and from that the ten films with the highest scores from those rounds will be screened again in this final. The complete scores from all three rounds can be found HERE.

The ten – or in this case 11 –  films which will be screened and voted on in this session are as follows:

 

1. The Making of Ogre Eating by John & Ann Epton

2.  Lanzarote – A Different View by Brian Pfeiffer

3.  Distance by Mandy Carr

4.  Magic Tricks by David Roman-Halliday

5.  Braveheart by Jane Oliver

6.  Best Friends by Barbara Walker

7.  Lost Smile by Lee Relph

8.  World Garden by Barbara Darby

9.   i360 by Trevor Rogers

10. General Election, Orpington by David Laker

= Birks of Aberfeldy by James Morton-Robertson

 

As always, It is imperative we have a high turnout to make the scoring as fair and representative as possible so each film is given a fair assessment from a high a pool of voters.  The film with the most votes will be crowned the 2019 Top Ten Winner at the OVFM Oscars on March 17th.

We also ask everyone who is bringing as film via USB stick that you properly mark your device with your name and film title, making it easier for the projectionist when screening them rather than having to sift through a pile of flash drives with no clue as to which one belongs to whom.

Also, this meeting is your last chance to enter the Annual Competition. Hopefully you have already submitted your film(s) to Ian Menage for inclusion on the DVD to be compiled for the judges, so please ensure you have your £2 entry fee and ENTRY FORM  (this is in the Members’ Only section so make sure you are logged in to access it) to hand in, whilst anyone who has yet to return their trophies from last year please bring them along too.

To download the Entry Form from the above link, roll your cursor over the top of the window to reveal the menu bar then click the download icon, or you can print the form off directly from the page by clicking the printer icon which is to the right of the download icon.

 

We hope to see everybody bright and fit for this important evening on Tuesday as we kickstart a new year here at OVFM!

OVFM CLUB MEETING TUESDAY DECEMBER 3rd

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And so we enter the final stretch of 2019 with our last regular meeting of the year, the final round of our annual club competition films!

Offering club members a chance to test their creativity in three separate categories that pay tribute to past club members, this is one of the more unique and interesting challenges in our programme. As ever, the three prizes up for grabs are:

 

Kath Jones Cup – A joke film with a punchline no longer than 5 minutes in length.

Mike Turner Plate – A film on any subject or style no longer than 60 seconds in length.

Vic Treen Trophy – A film set to music

 

The rules for each of these can be found HERE which we ask you to adhere to, otherwise the subject matter of your film is entirely in your hands, and you can enter a film for one, two or all three categories.

Last year 15 entries submitted, just two below 2017’s record breaking total, but as we have seen the remits of three different categories usually ensures a healthy response from the collective creative hive of OVFM members.

Now the bit everyone seems to ignore – if you are bringing a film this week it would be very much appreciated if you could PLEASE REPLY TO THIS POST in the comments/reply section below, letting us know the following information:

 

Run time

Format (DVD, Blu-ray, USB Stick)

File Format and Resolution (MP4 -1080p etc)

Picture ratio (4:3 or 16:9)

Film Category

 

This is a great help for us when planning the evening out and helping things run smoothly so affording us this courtesy will help get you into Santa’s good books just in time Christmas.

Also, members are reminded to consider their entries to the Annual Competition. We hope the newly updated entry forms will have been approved by the Committee and ready to be handed out at this meeting, whilst the final date for entries is the first meeting of 2020, which is the Top Ten Final on January 7th.

Thanks for reading and good luck to all who enter a film/films.

NEXT OVFM CLUB MEETING – Tuesday July 16th

 

Okay folks we are ready for the first round of the TOP TEN 2019 competition!

The Top Ten is open to everyone in OVFM to submit a film, no longer than 20 minutes on any subject, style or genre, which will be judged and graded by their peers. The ten films that have accrued the highest scores by the end of the five individual rounds will be entered into the final in January 2020 and the winner will be announced at the Oscars in March.

Due to the number of club members taking a slight drop over the last year due to ill-health and some unfortunate passings, the committee have decided to maximise the number of responses for this year’s competition by holding just two rounds, which means more entrants per round.

The scoring sheet has also undergone a change for this year, which you can read and download HERE.

Last year Sam Brown was our Top Ten winner with Beyond The Sunset making him our defending champion for this year’s competition. Will Sam reign supreme for a second year in a row or will someone else claim the trophy at next year’s Oscars?

Here are the club members who have been selected at random to participate in this opening round:

 

Ron Williams

Graham Sinden

Andy and Marian Watson

Jim and Fran Morton-Robertson 

Brenda and Roger Wheatley 

Trevor Rogers

Ian Ménage

Walter McKenna

Jane Oliver

Lee Relph

Mike Graham

Hugh Darrington

Anna  Littler

Laura Child

Maria Alexander 

John Bunce 

Harold Trill

 

Remember if you have a film ready and it is not your round yet please let us know below and bring it with you to the meeting – it will help make up any shortfall in submissions.

As always we ask you to PLEASE reply to this post in the comments below, if you have a film ready and letting us know the following important information :

 

Run time

Format (DVD, Blu-ray, USB)

Picture ratio (4:3 or 16:9).

 

Similarly please reply below if you can’t make this round and we’ll accommodate your film in a future round. It is very important and helpful to know these things ahead of time to ensure we have the right equipment for playing your films and so we know in advance how much time we have to discuss all the films shown if there is a huge response.  It’s a simple courtesy we are asking of you and it only takes a few seconds to comply.

And that is it. Join us on Tuesday for the opening round of the 2019 Top Ten!

Thank you for reading and good luck to everyone who enters a film!

TOP TEN COMPETITION 2019

 

Here we go again with one of OVFM’s longest running and prominent annual competitions the Top Ten!

As you know by now, the Top 10 is when we get serious  with our filmmaking, as the gloves are off – there are no limitations on what the subject matter or style or genre of film is  – the only stipulation is that you try and keep your film to around 20 minutes in length at maximum!

The new ruling made by the Committee to reduce the rounds to just two may sound like less opportunity for people to get their films made in time but on a practical level, when it comes to the screening evenings, we end up with only three or four films at a time; by reducing the amount of rounds, it is hoped this will see an improved number of entrants  per screening for a fuller and more competitive evening.

Last year we received just 14 entries which is part of a downwards trend we’ve seen over the past few years regarding our competitions which really should be the lifeblood of our club in terms of producing the best content possible. Maybe this reduction in rounds will be galvanising enough to get those creative juices flowing again in club members?

One aspect of the Top Ten that differs from other competitions and projects is that every film is under a bit of scrutiny as the scoring is done by other club members  who are asked to proffer feedback on the individual elements of the film’s production and presentation. This isn’t intended to be cruel or an opportunity to belittle new filmmakers but to offer constructive criticism and maybe address certain area that might need adjustment or improving.

Should this sound too intimidating, anybody is welcome to request to be spared from receiving feedback.

Last year Sam Brown was our Top Ten winner with Beyond The Sunset. Can he do it again or will someone else steal his crown in 2019? That is down to you!

If you have a film from the past which has undergone a significant revamp (perhaps a new soundtrack, remixed sound, improved titling, tighter editing, extended or redacted cut etc. you are also welcome to re-submit these as your official entry. And you can team up with your fellow club members if you need help on the technical or casting front, it will be the author of the script/concept who gets the entry credit. Couples can enter either individually or together.

The draw for 2019 is thus:

 

Round One – To be held on July 16th

Ron Williams

Graham Sinden

Andy and Marian Watson

Jim and Fran Morton-Robertson 

Brenda and Roger Wheatley 

Trevor Rogers

Ian Ménage

Walter McKenna

Jane Oliver

Lee Relph

Mike Graham

Hugh Darrington

Anna  Littler

Laura Child

Maria Alexander 

John Bunce 

Harold Trill

 

Round Two – To be held on August 27th

Barbara Darby

John Alford

Ann and John Epton

Mike Shaw

Brian Pfeiffer

Peter Mitchell

Charley Caseley

Sam Brown

Barbara J. Darby

Colin Jones

Matt Swaby

William Child

Bob Vine

Kuldip Kaur

Barbara Walker

David Laker

Reg and Annabelle Lancaster

Horace Chan

 

 

Remember, if you have a film ready before your designated round you are welcome to submit it early but please let us know, preferably on this website, ahead of the particular session you will be entering it. This also applies if you are unable to provide a film in time for the first round and need to defer to the second round.

The final will take place on January 7th 2020 and the results will be revealed at the Oscars on March 17th 2020.

For the results of last year’s competition click HERE whilst a selection of the films entered, including the winner, can be viewed HERE (make sure you are logged in to see these films).

Members can find more details on the rules and guidelines along with a downloadable scoring form HERE.

Thanks for reading and good luck to everyone who enters a film!

2019 OVFM OSCARS – THE RESULTS!

 

THE RESULTS

The 2019 OVFM Oscars took place last night (March 19th), organised this year by Ian Menage  with help from Andy Watson with the video presentation. Two of the judges from Spring Park, Graham Evans and Roy de Boise, were in attendance to help us celebrate and reward the past year of great filmmaking for OVFM.

So without further ado, here is the list of winners as voted for by OVFM member and judged by Spring Park.

 

ANNUAL COMPETITION AWARDS

Ian Dunbar Cup (Best film) – An Unwelcome Piece Of Orpington’s History by David Laker

Orpington Trophy (Best Film Runner Up) – Beyond The Sunset by Sam Brown

Arthur Woolhead Trophy (Animation or Visual Effects) –  Aristotle by Hugh Darrington

Priory Trophy (Editing) – …. 104! by Ian Menage

Rene Morris Penguin Plate (Photography) – Beyond The Sunset by Sam Brown

Reg Lancaster Trophy (Funniest Film) – Aristotle by Hugh Darrington

Alice Howe Trophy (Documentary) – An Unwelcome Piece Of Orpington’s History by David Laker

Raasay Trophy (No special category) – Seasons’ Blessings by Jane Oliver

Jubilee Shield (Film under five minutes) – Sandwich Break by Hugh Darrington

Commendation Awards –

Braveheart by Jane Oliver

A 1940’s Experience by Barbara Darby

A Time When Orpington Was Still A Village by David Laker

 

CLUB AWARDS

The 2018 Top Ten Competition

Winner – Beyond The Sunset by Sam Brown

Runner-Up – A Time When Orpington Was Still A Village by David Laker

 

Kath Jones Cup (Joke Fim) – Costly Words by David Laker

Vic Treen Cup (Fim Set to Music) – Otford Remembers by Barbara Darby

Mike Turner Plate (Film Under 60 Seconds) – Mr Sandman by John Bunce

 

N.B – two awards were not given as the judges didn’t find any films suited to them, these being Heyfield Trophy (Sound) and Vincent Pons Shield (Fiction).

The evening also saw a special presentation to John & Ann Epton for their efforts in organising our 60th Anniversary Show at the Odeon cinema.

Congratulations to all the winners and we look forward to doing it all again next year, provided we have a volunteer to assume the role of competition’s officer as Ian has decided to step down, so thanks to him for his efforts over the past year.

OVFM CLUB MEETING TUESDAY January 8th

 

2019 already? I’m afraid so but whilst we always like to look forward here at OVFM, we still have to finish some of the business we started in 2018, namely the TOP TEN competition!

The three individual qualifying rounds were held over the latter half of the year and from that the ten films with the highest scores from those rounds will be screened again in this final. The complete scores from all three rounds can be found HERE.

The ten films which will be screened and voted on in this session are as follows:

 

1. Beyond the Sunset – Sam Brown

2. When Orpington Was Still A Village – David Laker

3. Aristotle – Hugh Darrington

4. …104! – Ian Menage

5. Our Lizzie – Barbara Darby

6. Season’s Blessings – Jane Oliver

7. Walkers – Barbara Walker

8. Dream Visitor – John Bunce

9. Dino Invasion Of London – Lee Relph

10. Church Room – Bob Wyeth

 

It is imperative we have a high turnout to make the scoring as fair and representative as possible so each film is given a fair assessment from a a high a pool of voters.  The film with the most votes will be crowned the 2018 Top Ten Winner at the OVFM Oscars on March 19th.

Also, this meeting is your last chance to enter the Annual Competition, so please ensure you have your film, £2 entry fee and ENTRY FORM  (this is in the Members’ Only section so make sure you are logged in to access it) to hand to competition manager Ian Menage, whilst anyone who has yet to return their trophies from last year please bring them along too.

To download the Entry Form from the above link, roll your cursor over the top of the window to reveal the menu bar then click the download icon, or you can print the form off directly from the page by clicking the printer icon which is to the right of the download icon.

 

We hope to see everybody bright and fit for this important evening on Tuesday as we kickstart a new year here at OVFM!

OVFM CLUB MEETING TUESDAY NOVEMBER 27TH

comp_16

 

2018 has gone quickly hasn’t it? It’s hard to believe we have arrived at the last round of our annual club competition films already!

Offering club members a chance to test their creativity in three separate categories that pay tribute to past club members, this is one of the more unique and interesting challenges in our programme. As ever, the three prizes up for grabs are:

 

Kath Jones Cup – A joke film with a punchline no longer than 5 minutes in length.

Mike Turner Plate – A film on any subject or style no longer than 60 seconds in length.

Vic Treen Trophy – A film set to music

 

The rules for each of these can be found HERE which we ask you to adhere to, otherwise the subject matter of your film is entirely in your hands, and you can enter a film for one, two or all three categories.

Last year saw a record 17 entries submitted but with a loss of members and a noticeable drop off in response to projects and the Top Ten means we may not repeat this impressive high this year but we do hope that having three different categories will ensure a healthy selection of films to enjoy.

Now the bit everyone seems to ignore –  if you are bringing a film this week it would be very much appreciated if you could PLEASE REPLY TO THIS POST in the comments/reply section below, letting us know the film’s run time, format (DVD, Blu-ray, USB Stick), and picture ratio (4:3 or 16:9). This is a great help for us when planning the evening out and helping things run smoothly so affording us this courtesy will help get you into Santa’s good books just in time Christmas.

Also, members are reminded to submit their entries to the Annual Competition to Ian Menage at this meeting. The entry forms can be downloaded HERE (this is a Members’ Only page so be sure you are logged in).

Thanks for reading and good luck to all who enter a film/films.

OVFM CLUB MEETING TUESDAY OCTOBER 16th

We have reached the third and final qualifying round for the TOP TEN 2018 competition. The ongoing results can be found HERE.

The Top Ten is open to everyone in OVFM to submit a film, no longer than 20 minutes on any subject, style or genre, which will be judged and graded by their peers. The ten films that have accrued the highest scores by the end of the five individual rounds will be entered into the final in January 2019 and the winner will be announced at the Oscars in March.

We had four entries submitted for round one last month so we are hoping that we can equal or perhaps top that number for this session. Also please note that the scoring system has changed and now ALL categories are scored out of 10 points.  

Here are the club members who have been selected at random to participate in this final round:

 

John Bunce

Jo Coad

John & Ann Epton

Mike Graham

David Laker

Jim Morton-Robertson

Jenny Tucker

Barbara Walker

Andy & Marian Watson

Maria Alexander

 

The following people missed their earlier rounds but have a final chance to enter a film in this session:

 

Gordon Beales

Kuldip Kaur

Annabelle Lancaster

Walter McKenna

Peter Mitchell

Brian Pfeiffer

Mike Shaw

Bob Vine

Ron Williams

John Alford

Charlie & Nellie Caseley

Colin Jones

Anna Littler

Ian Menage

Peggy Parmenter

Trevor Rogers

Roger & Brenda Wheatley

As always we ask you to PLEASE reply to this post in the comments/reply section below, if you have a film ready and letting us know the following information:

 

Run time

Format (DVD, Blu-ray, USB)

Picture ratio (4:3 or 16:9).

 

It is very important and helpful to know these things ahead of time to ensure we have the right equipment for playing your films and for planning the time allotment of the evening.  It’s a simple courtesy we are asking of you and it only takes a few seconds to comply.

And that is it. Join us on Tuesday for the final qualifying round of the 2018 Top Ten!

Thank you for reading and good luck to everyone who enters a film!