Press release October 2003

The October meeting of Surrey Border Film & Video Makers saw an annual event at which the club hosts a friendly competition between four local film-making clubs. Members from each club bring its best film of the year for the enjoyment of all and assessment by a respected film critic. The competition has earned an enviable reputation across the national video club community, which this year’s event can only have reinforced. There was a cornucopia of wonderful films for the audience to enjoy.

The evening started with a beautiful film called “The Spirit of Brooklands” by the Guildford based Circle 8 Club. As the name suggests, the film was about the Brooklands race track and its history. Archival material featured strongly in the form of black and white pictures brought to life by a narration so superb that one felt one could hear and smell the excitement and atmosphere of the race track. The film owed its origins to an old 16mm cine film on the same subject which was carefully analysed and then entirely re-made in video with all the advantages of computer editing. Many of the audience thought this film was so good that it was clearly going to win the prize for the evening. However, even more impressive films were to follow.

The Basingstoke Camcorder Club came next with “The Lost Patrol”, a war movie of modern times, which relied strongly on inspired acting, a tension-packed plot and lots of authentic uniforms and equipment. As the plot unfolded the audience were caught up in the realism of the battlefield atmosphere, as a patrol discovered that it was right in the centre of the target zone of an imminent air attack. The film ended with a totally unexpected twist.

Spring Park Club next showed a film which managed to involve all its members and so, apparently, took a great deal of time to shoot. Called “Moody Waters”, it compared and contrasted people and their moods with the atmosphere generated by watching water from mere trickles to rushing torrents. A noble and massive effort which showed what can be achieved when a large number of people work together.

The last film of the evening, by the South Downs Club, won the judges’ approval for first prize.   Called “The Last Train”, it, like the previous film, was also a major club effort   As suggested by the title, a woman becomes stranded in a small village having missed the last train. An unkempt man, who appears to be a stalker, then makes contact, and the audience, encouraged by a glimpse of a poster warning of an escaped psychopath, become fearful that a gruesome outcome is in store. Well, yes, there was considerable tension, blood and a knife but, as with many a good film, the outcome wasn’t what everyone had been led to expect. Well done, South Downs, for a lovely and entertaining film which well deserved the prize for the best in the evening.