Following on from the previous post, Leth Maitland the Secretary of the
WEA Sydney Film Society has been in touch to advise that for the smallest among
us who like to get together, watch and discuss movies and who for decades have
relied first on the National Library and later the National Film & Sound
Archive to supply classics old and new, rarities, otherwise unavailable
Australian films, experimental work and more, things are getting increasingly
difficult in very practical ways.
Leth writes to show how sometimes it’s not made easy at all for
enthusiasts. "The WEA Sydney Film Society wanted to screen
THE 39 STEPS (Alfred Hitchcock, UK, 1935). The NFSA however cancelled the
booking because they had let the rights lapse. The local art film distributor
Madman has released the film locally on DVD, but said they had no
non-theatrical rights. NFSA had originally directed would-be borrowers to
Madman, but if not, Park Circus, the Glasgow based company which controls
the world rights should be contacted. Park Circus responded very promptly and
courteously, but in answer to our request to license a screening for likely to
between 10 and 20 people, the answer was 250 Australian dollars payable by
Paypal.
Films from European sources are even more problematic.
The exception is Goethe-Institut. It is coming to our rescue by still licensing titles worldwide but they are kind of the last in what was once a significant source of programing for film societies in Australia.
Finally, the NFSA is now not licensing Australian titles if they are
"commercially available" which is a bit of a movable feast.
Leth has just sent round the WEA Sydney Film Society's fortnightly
program for August to December 2015. If you would like to receive a copy by email
setting out all the details and accompanied by some excellent program notes
contact leth_maitland@hotmail.com
Leth has a point but like books, music and everything else produced and published by someone at their own expense, not everything is going to be available in this world at all times and cheaply. I began in film societies in 1951 and that was true then (more so). One moves with the moment.
ReplyDeleteFurther to the editor's comment on WEA SFS program notes, which truly are excellent in the traditional mode, efforts are being made to have a set of those notes back to 1980s installed at NFSA. They would then be one of the world's best guides to programmers -- and all for material that has been available in Australia.
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