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ORGANISATION:

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

 

You will have noticed from your Conference papers that this is the Federation's 29th Annual Conference. During the whole of its existence the Federation has been a voluntary body, manned by unpaid helpers. I think that we have now reached the point where we must start to have one or more salaried employees.


As I mentioned earlier, the number of film societies continues to grow. By the end of this year I think that we can expect the number to approach 40. Each active society shows at least 10 feature films a year. Most societies have accepted our suggestion that they should show two programmes a month, between March and November (which gives 18 programmes a year). This means that over 500 separate film bookings have to be made for each year. And remember that most feature films are accompanied by shorts. The result is that there is an immense amount of organisation, sorting, programming, labelling and correspondence to be attended to.

 

This monumental labour has to be undertaken at the worst time of the year - around Christmas. At present it falls largely - almost exclusively - upon the shoulders of one person, the Programme Organiser, Lindsay Shelton. I asked him a few weeks ago for an estimate of the time he was putting in on the job. He said that he had been working four hours a night on every evening for a period of three weeks and the job was then only about one-thied done! The job of programming, by its nature, is not something that can readily be shared around among willing helpers. And yet no voluntary organisation has the right to expect a continuation of such efforts on an unpaid basis year after year even from its staunchest supporter.


Quite apart from film programming, the Programme Organiser undertakes most of the hard work involved in film selection. Each year the Federation secures about 20 new films for inclusion in the next year's Catalogue. Again, it has to secure a range of short films as well. And we do try, with what little money remains, to add to the Federation's permanent collection of classics and other films of special interest. Much of the work of film selection can be handled by way of correspondence with our sources of supply. But that is not enough (for one thing, some of the best suppliers simply don't answer letters). Personal contact with these suppliers is very important. Last year, Lindsay went overseas on a trip and during the course of that visit he renewed old contacts and made many new ones both in the United Kingdom and in New York. The benefits of this will be apparent when you see the films he managed to secure.


The Music Federation seems to treat it as a matter of course that overseas trips are necessary to secure visits by the best performers. I think that our Federation, for its part, must get used to the idea that the best films will only be obtained by someone going to seek them out and that we will, at regular intervals, have to provide funds for that purpose. (Last year we did manage to make a contribution towards Lindsay's expenses: but it was a pretty meagre one.)


Quite apart from film selection and programming there is a growing amount of administrative work to handle: correspondence and phone calls mainly, but it's very time consuming. It all leads inexorably to the conclusion that we need some help. First, a working secretary and, secondly, a permanent director. I think the appointments will have to be made in that order and to start with at least they will be part-time rather than full-time positions. This is not just empty empire-building. The recent growth of interest in films and in film societies is not imagined and it is one of the objects of this Federation to promote such interest. The experience of film society movements overseas shows us what is possible and we are well on the pathway to the possible.


FUNDING:

It's obviously time to talk about money. The growth in the number of film society members has augmented the funds available to the Federation by way of capitation fees. There was, too, a substantial increase in fees approved at the last Annual Conference. But the increase in funds from this source has only just kept pace with the rapidly rising costs of film hire and purchase. For other requirements we have to seek other sources.


For a number of years past, the Federation has received an annual grant from the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council. The grant has not been a large one compared to those made to other voluntary bodies (such as the Theatre Federation and the Music Federation). In 1973 it was $1,500 and last year we were accorded an increase, on account, to $2,000. I used the phrase "on account" because we are having discussions with Arts Council representatives about the Federation's current and future requirements. These discussions are based on the kind of considerations I have referred to under the heading "Organisation". We have reached no firm conclusion yet but I am hopeful that we will have a firm and satisfactory conclusion very shortly.

 

A strong word about policy here. It is not the Working Committee's intention to create a top-heavy and costly administrative structure. The Federation's prime task is to secure films for exhibition by member societies and the bulk of its expenditure is now and must continue to be directed  towards that end. For evidence of good faith, have a look at the split-up of expenditure between film hire and purchase costs and administrative costs in the current set of accounts.


The watching of films, as well as being a cultural pursuit, is a form of recreation. Besides seeking support from the Arts Council, we have had to consider what might be derived from the Council of Sport and Recreation. It seems that assistance from that Council is most likely to be granted on a local level to individual societies. If member societies are concerned about the cost of hiring or buying equipment or renting premises then they should get in touch with their local authority or direct with the Council for Recreation and Sport, C/- Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington.

 

 

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