The Cinematic Syncopations Orchestra, a film by new member Dave Thompson, has won the prestigious Film of the Year title at the club’s Boudicca Film Awards.

Dave received the FOTY Boudicca from the Mayor of Colchester, Cllr Peter Chillingworth, watched by a large audience at Firstsite.

Dave’s film qualified to enter the FOTY by winning the Chairman’s Cup. The name - SP27 Concert – was apparently only its file name and was added to the entry form by mistake.

The background to the film was that the girlfriend of Dave’s son was the concert’s production manager. He was asked if he would film the orchestra setting up and rehearsing. Having done that he decided to ask each member of the management team a few open questions and capture their emotional responses on camera.

DIAMOND JUBILEE

The awards evening also marked the club’s Diamond Jubilee and Master of Ceremonies, Paul Desmond read out a short extract from CFMC history, written by Bernard Polley:

“Our story really starts in the spring of 1959 when two keen amateur cinematographers - Don Leech and Eric Smith - called a meeting at the Cross Keys Inn in Long Wyre Street to see if there was sufficient interest to form a cine club.

“Twenty people attended and Colchester & District Cine Society was born on 24th April 1959. Don Leech, a school master, was elected Chairman.

“It was agreed that meetings would be held fortnightly at St. Martins in West Stockwell Street - a draughty disused church. Those founder members were using 16mm, 9.5mm and standard 8mm film stock.”