The Cine Technician (1953-1956)

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80 THE CINE-TECHNICIAN July-August, 1952 FILM FESTIVALS Good or Bad ? PETER NOBLE, Editor of 'The British Film Year Book', argues out the problem of Film Festivals SINCE the war a new feature of the international film scene has been the Film Festival, first inaugurated by Cannes and later by Venice, Berlin, Edinburgh and even Uruguay. Annually countries from all over the world enter picked films for these festivals and compete against each other in a spirit of friendly rivalry. Stars, producers, directors, writers and journalists come from all quarters of the globe to mingle at Cannes or Venice or Edinburgh, to see the competing movies, make their own judgments and return to record their views in their newspapers and magazines. If nothing else, the Festivals have given films a fresh news value and, in fact, have put movies on an international diplomatic level. Indeed, some governments think ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL With commendable boldness, the Italian Film Industry staged, a Festival week at the New Gallery Cinema, London, from June 16th to June 22nd. Eight feature films were shown, including Pietro Germi's " II Cammino Delia Speranza," awarded the Selznick Golden Laurel last year for its contribution to mutual understanding and goodwill; Mario Camerini's " Moglie Per Una Notte " ; and Julian Duviver's Cannes Grand Prix winner, " Due Soldi Di Speranza." The films were outstanding for the way in which real backgrounds and real people were used with much zest and skill; for the sympathetic and deft handling of everyday life and its problems; and, occasionally, for some wise comments on flu issues of our time. British film technicians can learn a lot from the films made by our Italian friends. Even though, technically , the Italian Films are inferior in many ways, and the tempo is much slower than that of our own films, there is a warmth and exuberance about these films that is rarely equalled by the films made in Britain. so highly of these annual events that they give their film industries active sponsorship along with a propaganda machine to aid them in winning an Award. Today most moviegoers are Festival-conscious. As they enter their local cinemas they are often confronted by hoardings announcing that the picture they are going to see has been given the Grand Prix at Cannes or the First Prize at Venice — or was honourably mentioned at Uruguay. Film makers, too, are beginning to jump on the Festival bandwagon. Most producers would like to see their latest brainchildren exhibited at one of the Festivals, and many distributors believe that the label of a Festival honour attached to a picture can help its box office appeal in certain quarters. But there is a school of thought in Wardour Street which is opposed to Film Festivals and considers that the Awards are of no practical value and indeed harmful in that they label a product " arty " and thereby tend to frighten off potential customers. I do not agree with this view, for I maintain that the International Festivals have brought great benefit to films, both as an art and as an industry. I have attended several Festivals in past years. This year I have been to the Cannes Festival, and shall visit the Venice Festival in August. From what I have seen I would say that many benefits for the British film industry ensue from these international contests, and I hope that Britain will go on supporting them indefinitely. It was the Municipality of Cannes which, in 1939, first thought of the idea of staging an annual movie gathering, with prizes for the best films entered from various countries. As Irving Hoffman, of the Hollywood Reporter, reminded me in Cannes this year, Norma Shearer, then top star at M.G.M., was to be the " Queen of the Festival," but the outbreak of war in Europe postponed the event until 1947. Since then the Cannes Film Festival has become an event eagerly looked forward to by critics and film enthusiasts everywhere. Obviously the hotelowners of Cannes have axes to grind, but what