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Peter Gordon

Page history last edited by David Lindsay 3 years, 8 months ago

 

Once again we record the continued overall growth of the Film Society Movement both in number of societies (this year we have welcomed new societies at Ohakune and North Shore and had enquiries from seven districts) and growth in number of members. The latest figures available, however, give some grounds for anxiety for, whilst Auckland and Wellington Societies must be proud of their outstanding growth during the year, many of the smaller societies have not flourished during the past years. Your committee is anxious to ascertain the reasons for this.


Sometimes, as in the case of the Palmerston North Society, it is a fact that some societies are in towns and cities where there are substantial changes in population. We have never lost less than 20% of members a year through departure for other parts where, we hope, they have found a film society to join, or even administer. We are aware that some of the smaller societies are the enthusiastic creation of a mere one or two individuals who, whilst doing most of the donkey work, have little time for recruiting or fraternizing.


Possibly some of the programmes available could be more suitable for larger societies. Certainly the smaller societies are handicapped by the fact that a successful screening needs a responsive audience. Whatever the reasons, this is a cause for concern at present and is not properly answered by a demand for minimum membership.


Other matters that have engrossed the FederatIon's executive during 1973 are no less important.

 

Finance is always a worry and, although again Vaughan Rosier's careful administration and increased membership have alleviated our worst worries, gross inflation is rampant in the film supply world and the cost of films, has forced the Federation to advocate increased subscriptions.


The censorship of films, and in particular films chosen by the Federation for screening to its members, has become more of a problem. Following the effective ban on I Am Curious, this year has seen the Paarungen cutting and our unsuccessful appeal, and the Lions Love banning and prospective appeal.


This occasion could not be allowed to pass without reference to our concern at the Last Tango in Paris case - where the fate of a world famous film, of undoubted artistic merit, is that it can be seen uncut by adult audiences in about 99% of the civilised world, but not in New Zealand - like Lions Love. There seems little doubt that, at present, film censorship is making New Zealand a laughing stock - not the least because of the decisions of the Board of Appeal, only one member of which grew up in the era of the talking picture, but also because of the notorious fact that the censor's hands are tied by a set of criteria designed in the silent picture days for political purposes and introduced during a war.


We have been fortunate that David Gascoigne has been prepared to do battle before the Appeal Board for us. We have made representations to the Labour Party Caucus Committee on Cultural Affairs and the Internal Affairs Department as to the necessity of a new Act and have made progress with a suggested redraft of the Act. It is pleasing to see that both the Auckland and Wellington Bulletins have given news of the censor's activities to members.

 

We we indebted to John Lowe for his research and repots and eqully pleased that the Chairman of the Working Committee, Harold White, has once again risen to the occasion and has chosen to publicly take up the cudgels and keep the whole question of film censorship well publicised with the talk given in New Plymouth on censorship and pornography. And, in private, a great deal of work has been done on the whole question by a subcommittee.


Your Federation took the opportunity of helping to support the B.B.C. Icograda Film Contest.


We are grateful to Freda Young for so ably assuming the appointment of Secretary and to Lindsay Shelton for once more choosing the best available films for our 1974 programme, and to him and his helpers for the fine new catalogue. We are again grateful to the Embassies and Legations for film supply and the National Film Library for distribution and I would like to thank all the members of the working committee for their cheerful and strenuous efforts.

 

 

Peter Gordon
President
January 1974

 

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