Lights, camera, lack of action

While we're on the subject of films, a topic that's been raised from time-to-time in comments - just what did happen to the Film Festival?

Back in February things looked optimistic. On the 8th, the Economic Committee discussed an application from the Festival Trust for $20,000. At that time, Councillors were a little shocked to find that the Diva had apparently tripled the Council's commitment to the Festival without consulting anyone first. Festival co-founder Marion Campbell was quoted as saying that the Mayor "wanted to see Wanganui on the map, with a significant annual film festival".

Crs Bullock, Wills and Dhaya weren't impressed with the Diva's off-the-cuff generosity, the latter saying it "wasn't cricket". And with the Diva being bowled a googly in Tonga, Ray Stevens absent, and Dotty forced to stand aside due to a conflict of interest (the Festival Awards usually being held at her place) that left a committee of only three councillors, who decided to let the application "lie upon the table" (i.e. to do nothing about it).

Fast forward to May this year, and the Festival's collapse is given the Spin Fairy treatment in the Chron on the 10th of that month, with Helen Lawrence saying "the basic reason for the cancellation was that the Trust had run out of time".

Now why would a group of people who'd successfully run precisely the same event in the past suddenly "run out of time"?

• Was it because the Diva tagged his unauthorised promise of $20,000 with the proviso that the Festival be run in winter, and the planning period was thus foreshortened?
• Was it because their request for $20,000 "lay on the table" without an answer due to the Diva's quest for fame taking precedence over Council duties?
• Or were the organisers truly so inept that they simply let the whole thing slide by not getting it ready in time, as the Spin Fairy claimed?
• Or some combination of the above?

Why are these questions important, you ask? Let's turn to the Council's own Minutes for 21 February this year:

Impact of not funding the event for 2005

If the 2005 Wanganui Film Festival planned for 2005 does not proceed the impact of this can be summarised as follows:

• The New Zealand Film Commission will not honour the $15,000 requested to support the Festival.
• The French Embassy, the Italian Consulate and the Australian Film Commission will be advised of the cancellation of arrangements to use their films.
• Loyal sponsors will need to be advised that the film festival in Wanganui will not be going ahead. They are: Sony New Zealand, Kodak New Zealand, Atlab New Zealand, Oktober (a division of Silverscreens Films, e.g. River Queen), Stebbing Recording Centre, DVT (Digital Video Technology), Focal Press, Citizen Watches, New Zealand Writers Guildand Te Mangai Paho.
• Local sponsors will be advised: Coull Battell, Radio Works and Noel Leeming.
• Festival supporters advised: Peter Jackson, Alun Bollinger, Gaylene Preston, Whetu Fala.
• Advice will go to the Duncan Family Trust that supports the Cameron Duncan Memorial Award.
• Business will be lost for the following local businesses: Embassy 3 Cinema, Royal Wanganui Opera House, Cooks Gardens Function Centre, Avenue Hotel, Tearaway magazine.
• A retraction will need to be advertised in Film Magazine.
• Creative New Zealand will also have to retract an announcement they have made re the upcoming festival.
• 500 New Zealand High Schools are in the process of being approached to submit Films to the 3rd year of junior shorts competition. This would cease.

Conclusion: The application being considered has had to be dealt with outside of the Community Contracts process. It is unusual in that should Council approve the application, it will mean the District Council will provide funding twice to an event in the same financial year. However, the timing of the event is unusual as well in that it will fall at a time when Wanganui traditionally has difficulty attracting visitors and it takes place the year of the release of River Queen. There is good evidence that shows the economic benefits to Wanganui not only in the short-term but longer term as the festival’s reputation builds.

If indeed the Festival collapsed for want of $20,000, leaving egg on Wanganui's face with all of the above organisations, media and eminent persons, it raises some serious questions about the way the Council (and the Diva) does business.

And if we could have received the above benefits for $20,000, will we get 7.5 times more benefit for the $150,000 that's being spent on the River Queen premiere-that-isn't?

Update (11.30pm): We've just looked up the Diva's infamous "When the Cat's Away" column, published on 21 February, in which he says: "[Marion's] estimate was that $20,000 would be required – plus the usual sponsorship – and that seemed reasonable. I was looking (still am) at devoting some of my Mayoral salary to that aim and also sourcing other funds. Lord knows how that has been interpreted as short-circuiting the community contracts process. Strange stuff."

So was a dollop of Laws's largesse duly delivered? If so, why was the Festival seeking the $20,000 from Council if it was to come from the Diva? Did they in fact want $20,000 plus the Mayoral contribution? Or were they seeking the money from Council because the Diva didn't deliver? We've emailed the organisers to see if they'll answer these and other questions.

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