NOTES FROM A REPORT ON THE ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETING
OF THE NEW ZEALAND FILM INSTITUTE

The Auckland Film Society were hosts to delegates from Film Societies who met for their Annual Council Meeting in Auckland on 28th and 29th January. The meeting was held at Auckland University and Mr. J. C. Reid, President of the Institute was in the chair.

The Report of the Institute's Working Committee for the Year ended 31st January 1950, disclosed that there were 23 financial members of the Institute (only incorporated Film Societies qualify for membership). Four Societies had discontinued membership during the year. To its members, the Institute had arranged for the supply of 9 programmes and secured distribution of these and some other special programmes. Occasionally programmes and advice had been given to film groups or classes in 9 centres.

Income for the year had amounted to £659, and expenditure - secretarial fees, purchase of films, hiring fees, etc. - came to £415, leaving a surplus of £243. The inadequacy of the Institue's income was stressed by the report. Much of the organisation of the Institute was undertaken by voluntary workers in Wellington who coulld not be expected to continue indefinitely. To establish the Institute on a sound basis it would be necessary to engage permanent staff and to this end obtain a large annual income to support the equipment and premises and staff capable of undertaking the long range of projects that needed attention. Later in the meeting when the Report of the Parliamentary Committee of Enquiry was being considered, the Chairman of the Working Committee, Mr. J. O'Shea, explained that following the Parliamentarians' recomendation that the Institute should receive every encouragement in its activities the Working Committee had approached the Minister of Internal Affairs with a request for an annual grant of £5,000. A detailed memorandum had been presented to the Minister setting out the origins, services and constitution of the Institute. The activities and financial position of the British Film Institute (over £100,000 annually from  H.M. Treasury) were quoted as reference and some details given of the possible activities and services that would be practicable and valuable in New Zealand. It was later decided by the Council that the annual subscription from Societies to the Institute would continue as before at the rate of 5/- per member, or where concessions were given to husband and wife double memberships (as in Wellington) at the rate of 3/9 per member.

The Working Committee Report referred to the difficulties of obtaining new sources of film supply. As in the past, the Institute has used films drawn from the National Film Library, the Legations and High Commissioners in Wellington, the Shell Oil Co., the Educational Sound Films Ltd. The latter's films are subject to rigourous exhibiting conditions and are hired at approximately £2-10-0 each. Where those films are part of the 9 programmes supplied by the Institute, the hire fees are recoverable from the Institute. A motion restricting the amount of refund thus obtainable to 25% of the Society's subscription to the Institute was passed.

A number of new films, costing approximately £100, have been ordered from the British Film Institute and are expected in NZ about the middle of the year. They include two specially compiled anthologies, Drawings That Walk and Talk (the development of the cartoon film), and Early Trick Films; Pudovkin's The End of St. Petersburg, Rene Clair's Paris Qui Dort, and Anthony Asquith's Cottage on Dartmoor; and some short films - Charlie Chaplin in His Trysting Place,  Eisenstein and Alexandrov's, Romance Sentimentale, and the Dutch avant-garde travelogue The Hague.

Some indication of the high costs of importing films of a more recent vintage (though still vintage) was given in the Working Committee's Report. The Committee outlined extensive enquiries that had been made from commercial agencies in England and the Continent. Besides the cost of printing (all that had to be paid to the British Film Institute) commercial producers required heavy exploitation fees for rights to exhibit in N.Z. The Carne film starring Jean Gabin Quai des Brumes would, for example, cost £550. And this was the cheapest of films of similar quality available in 16 mm.

The Council approved the negotiations the Institute is at present conductIng with Film Traders, London, for a long term hire agreement whereby some notable post-war Continental films might be obtained for distribution by the Institute for six months. It was anticipated that the overall cost of such a scheme would not be less than £100 for each film.

The Council decided to order immediately two films recently made available by the British Film Institute - D.W.Griffith's Intolerance and Rene Clair's Le Million. The cost of these will be approximately £70. It was also decided to spend a small sum (about £25) annually for the repurchase of special films of particular merit which are constantly in demand and are deteriorating. (e. g, Song of Ceylon). If finances permit, the Working Committee was asked to purchase 16 mm prints of Drie Groschenopera, a German version of John Gay's "Beggars Opera" with music by Kurt Weill; some Norman McLaren cartoons, and part of Leni Reifenstahl's Olympia.

A discussion of the machinery of censorship in NZ occupied a good part of the Council's attention. A draft paper was prepared for the meeting by Mr. J. Blennerhassett. Mr G. Mirams, Censor of Films, was invited to attend the meeting. He said that he was very impressed with Mr. Blennerhassett's paper and that in many ways, it coincided with his own views. He mentioned that the Film Institute and the Film Societies were bodies to which the Censor must look for constructive criticism. After much discussion, the Council passed a resolution to the effect that:
1.     That recommendations be submitted to the Minister of Internal Affairs suggesting that:
(a)    The Censor be given some protection by his Post being given quasi-judicial status;
(b)    The Censor should continue to act on his individual judgment and not on any code of rules;
(c)    The Censor's certificates be amended;
(d)    All advertising matter and trailers to show the Censor's classification;
(e)    Certificates be clearly visible, extendled to a length of 12 feet and accompanied by a sound track;
(f)     The Appeal Board to be reconstituted;

(g)    Rejected films to be availalble for re,submission every five years;
(h)    Bona fide orgainisations to have the right of appeal against Censor's banning of a film;
(i)     In the admistration of the Censor's office, provision be made for the Censor to carry out more positive work and exercise a certain cultural           and educational function.
2.    That the Distributors' Association be informed that the Institute is prepared to see and report on films rejected by the Censor.

At the conclusion of the Council Meeting, M J, C. Reid, was re-elected President and Mr, J.D. O'Shea, Chairman of the Working Committee. It was decided that the next Annual meeting of the Council would be held in Wellington.