Pictured (left to right) are Henryk "Hen-the-Pen" Jachimczyk, Cllr Gerard Oxford, CFMC Chairman Barrie Gibbard, John Howden, John Groslin, Andy Merz, John "JJ" Jones and Bryan Littlewood.Club member Suzie Hart was on hand with her camera to capture the magic of the evening when CFMC staged its End of Season Showcase at Firstsite on May 16.

The winner of the coveted Film of the Year Boudicca was John Groslin with his stunning documentary “Monet’s Giverny”, which he filmed entirely on a tablet. It was also his first club competition entry.

John was presented with his trophy by Cllr Gerard Oxford, Mayor-elect of Colchester.

The Film Maker of the Year Boudicca went to Andy Merz, who has been a prolific film maker during the season. Club chairman, Barrie Gifford also presented Bryan Littlewood and Henryk Jachimczyk jointly with the Chairman’s Cup Boudicca.

There was an abundance of trophies for film maker John Howden, who won the Open, Five Minute, Ray Jennings and Holiday competitions.

John “JJ” Jones was awarded a surprise Boudicca for his “Outstanding Contribution” to CFMC over many years. “JJ” joined the club in the 1980s and has held various positions besides being an award- winning film maker and an experienced projectionist.

The evening, which attracted a host of VIPs as well as members of the public, was voted a huge success with much praise going to the MC, Henryk “Hen-the-Pen” Jachimczyk, for his humorous and engaging presentation.

OMG! was the off-the-wall title chosen for the Make a Film in an Evening project, which couldn’t have been more appropriate, writes Paul Desmond.

As one CFMC member commented later: “that’s the most fun I’ve had on a Tuesday evening while keeping my clothes on”.

Much of the success of the evening must be attributed to the degree of enthusiasm, which members brought to the occasion.

Praise must also be credited to the project director John “JJ” Jones, who worked out in advance the killer shots he would need when he switched roles to editor.

This meant that when cameraman John Groslin and soundman Barrie Gibbard were ready to roll, “JJ” could immediately shout “action”.

The script was provided by Lionel Bloomfield, who also brought along his Gimble and joined other members film the filming – some members (shock, horror) actually used mobile phones and tablets.

The first part of the evening was taken up following the antics of would-be burglar Robin Garton and guest star John “Polly” Howden. After the coffee break, “JJ” got down to editing the clips, working against the clock.

The unanimous verdict was “let’s do that again …… and soon”.