Four Women Have Films In Chib Festival

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30667, 5 February 1965, Page 2

Four Women Have Films In Chib Festival

For long enough amateur film-making was considered a man’s hobby and men were content to keep it so. But in recent years more and more women have been taking it up with growing success.

Yesterday it was announced that four films made by New Zealand women have been selected for showing at the Christchurch Movie Club’s three-night festival from February 22 to 24 inclusive.

They will take their place among more than 30 films of a particularly high standard from Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand movie clubs.

They are: Mrs W. S. MaeGibbon’s “Over the World to Skye,” a travel film; Mrs Rosemary Kent’s “Murder! She Cried,” a satire on yoga; Miss L. V. Gates’s “A Colt’s Story,” a documentary showing the breaking in of a young horse for racing; and Miss K. Jarvis’s "Splendour in Nature,” featuring the

highlights of the four sea sons.

All these films are in colour. All have taped commentaries except Mrs Kent's film, which has background music. Miss Jarvis is secretary of the Hutt Valley Movie Club; the other three women belong to the Christchurch club. “There is a great deal of talent among women photographers, judging from the films we have seen,” said Mrs Kent, who is secretary of the Christchurch club. “Women find it a most relaxing hobby, which they can share with their husbands. Often you find women doing the commentary or the script for their husband’s films and then taking up movie-making themselves. Others help create sets and act in films.” The interest in moviemaking often began with taking holiday pictures as record shots. she said.

Of the club’s membership (about 300) approximately two-thirds are women. AGE NO BARRIER

Age was no barrier to making films, she said. Older women usually had more time to give to tiie hobby than young mothers or working women. All found it a most satisfying pastime the year round.

Mrs Kent began her interest in photography when she bought a camera to take a pictorial record of her son and daughter growing up. Apart from keeping this record for family interest, she enjoys filming under lights during the winter months. She enters competitions to keep improving her standards, as do many other women members. Films for the club’s festival, which have come from countries bordering the Pacific, have been selected to give three well-balanced programmes with plenty of variety for a wide appeal, Mrs Kent said. Included tn a total of more than 30 films to be shown, will be documentaries, story films, animated puppet and travel films. Most will be in colour, but she expects one monochrome film will be shown on each of the three nights.

The club’s public screenings are being held in association with the Pan-Pacific Arts Festival.

“We are very pleased with the selection of films and with the standard of those made available to us,” said Mrs Kent.

The film festival will be held at the Canterbury Museum theatre.