Annual Members Competition 2025
The Annual Member’s Competition was held on
7th December 2025
This year a grand total of twenty entries were received from fourteen of our Club Video makers. Even though the Annual Members Competition has nine awards on offer, it was still a massive challenge for our two judges to sort through so many great and very diverse films to determine the winners. Rather them than me!
However, after what was I’m sure many hours of watching and deliberation, our two judges Pip Critten and Robin Slater came up with the results. Congratulations to the winners and also to everyone else who entered their work .
You are the members who make this a film making club!
Pip Critten is a member of Teign Video Club. He is also the Chair of the Southern Counties Region of the IAC and their Magazine Editor and Competition Organiser. He has been a Judge and Final Round Judge at BIAFF and many other film competitions, both nationally and internationally.
Robin Slater has been a member of Sutton Coldfield Movie Makers for 9 years; BIAFF Judge for 4 years; Birmingham Film Festival judge for 2026; Multi Award winning filmmaker and editor including Canne World Film Festival Best Editor November 2024. A Bronze Medal Winner at UNiCA 2025.
Both Pip and Robin are also members of the Virtual Video Group, whose video ‘VVG – TV 2025’ was one of the entries into the Interclub competition held by SBMM in November.
Member's Competition 2025
John Hawthorne hosted the evening, and Mike Sanders managed the technical devices, switching between the various video clips.
In previous years, judges have joined us via Zoom on the large screen in the SBMM Club meeting hall. Unfortunately neither judge was available this year to appear live, so instead we were treated to Mike Sanders and John Hawthorne reading the judges comments after each film was shown, culminating with the judges pre-recorded announcements of the winners at the end of the evening. John presented the awards at the end of the evening.
With 20 films entered, it was decided to show an assortment of the winning films on the night, and then feature the remainder in the January Club meeting.
Many thanks to all those who contributed to making the evening work so well!
The Overall Winner - Phil LeFanu - 'Licence to Clown'
Phili LeFanu - 'Licence to Clown'
“A clown having an existential crisis. A Bath Spa University film in which Phil starred.“
Judges Comments:
“This is an excellent example of a student film from Bath Spa University, showcasing an impressive range of skills delivered to a high standard.
Thoughtful cinematography, with well used depth of field guiding our attention exactly where it needs to be.
An accomplished and visually engaging student film that demonstrates strong technical ability, thoughtful storytelling, and a cohesive collaborative vision. The entire team should be incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved.
Second Place Award - Jim Reed - 'The Memory Illusion'
Jim Reed - 'The Memory Illusion'
“What if your memories – and Ai’s – could both be wrong? The Memory Illusion explores the similarities between the human brain and Ai’s large language models (LLMs), showing how humans reconstruct memories and Ai recreates meaning from patterns, and that they are both are prone to errors and ‘hallucinations.“
Judges Comments:
“It’s not just my interest in memory that made this an excellent film for me. It’s the way the whole piece has been so thoughtfully conceived and crafted into a wonderfully informative video — the kind you immediately want to watch again and again, learning more and remembering more with each viewing.
He talks about “filling in the blanks,” a valuable concept for film makers to understand, especially when crafting thrillers and dramas.As a judge, part of my role is to highlight areas that could be improved, but in this case, I genuinely can’t “remember” any.
A masterfully crafted, thought-provoking, and visually seamless film that invites repeated viewing while showcasing exceptional production values. ‘every point has been visualised so that sound and image always work in harmony, never jarring.
This audio-visual cohesion makes the information clear and easy to absorb. The bottom line as a viewer is that it looked good, the sound was good, the narration was great and the documentary elements were both informative and thought provoking.
Third Place Award - Peter Stratford for 'When Things Go Wrong'
Judges Comments:
“This tongue-in-cheek, light-hearted film proves that even a disaster can be rescued and turned into something wonderfully entertaining—so long as you know what you’re doing and have the skill to pull it off.
As with all of Peter’s films, we’re treated to excellent camerawork and beautifully composed shots that bring every scene to life. The blend of wide establishing shots and creative close-ups makes for rich, dynamic visuals.
The change from your usual title font was a fun touch and signalled right away that this film was going to be something a little different. You draw us in with the familiar opening of
a travel documentary before hitting us with “the problem”—a reveal that lands perfectly.
You captured the “opposing film team” brilliantly, giving us a playful peek into how travel documentaries are often made.
As a judge, I’m supposed to offer suggestions for improvement… but on this occasion, I think you’ve left me with nothing but admiration”
Peter Stratford - When Things Go Wrong
“A humorous take on what happens when two film crews collide in an exotic foreign location.”
Peter Stratford - Salt Flats Sunset '
Peter Stratford - Salt Flats Sunset
“Video montage of a unique place in the World at sunset”
Judges Comments:
” Serene, beautiful, and striking are the first words that come to mind when watching this well-crafted film.
There are some truly stunning shots and compositions, clearly showing that we are in the hands of an experienced film maker, someone who knows how to translate emotion onto the screen with confidence and sensitivity.
The sheer expanse and scale of these salt flats are staggering and the imagery has helped greatly in capturing the panorama.
There is one clip which has real depth – salt flats in the fore, tiny cars in the mid and those setting sun kissed mountains in the far ground. This clip works very well for both depth and art.
The golden sunset also enhances the changing reflections from the salt flats from blue to gold as the sun sets, switching to red and finally purple after the sun dips below the horizon.
The fact that you managed to gather such rich and evocative
footage in that brief moment is remarkable”
Jim Reed - Working With Ai
Judges Comments:
“Jim introduces ideas and concepts that push us to think more deeply than we might have before, but that’s only part of what makes this film exceptional. It’s also the way it’s crafted, constructed using the very subject matter at its core.
This film maker has clearly studied the technology, honed his prompt-writing skills, and learned which tools and software to use for each stage of the process—often combining multiple approaches to achieve just the right effect.
The curation of the clips, the informative and engaging script, and the seamless editing all come together to form a film that showcases an impressive range of skills – skills that
any film maker, amateur or professional, would be proud of.
Of note is the beautiful timing and pitch of the narration, this gave the film a real professional touch. While talking about concepts that could change our life, the narration had a strange calming warm edge that was filled with hope – loved it. Also of note was the edit, which was clean, seamless and well-paced.
Huge congratulations. This is truly an excellent achievement.”
Jim Reed - 'Working with Ai'
“Some say artificial intelligence is killing creativity in filmmaking and should be limited. I say they are wrong. Since my first Ai-assisted film in 2020, I’ve seen Ai evolve from clunky output into a competent co-creator. Ai is a revolution in creativity, democratising cinema and expanding access to professional-quality filmmaking. There is no future in trying to limit Ai; the future is to collaborate with it.”
Philip Morley - 'The Ship of Dreams'
Philip Morley - 'The Ship Of Dreams'
“An introduction to the Queen Mary 2 Cruise Liner, how it was built, some interesting facts about it and how my wife and I enjoyed its splendor on a recent voyage from Southampton to New York.”
Judges Comments:
” The impressive drone shots set the scene beautifully and really showcase the ship at its best. The mix of stills and video worked well overall; I understand it’s not always possible to film every moment perfectly, and the balance you achieved felt natural.
The shot of the ship travelling under the bridge was especially effective, and the time- lapse sequence around the promenade deck was well executed. The insert highlighting what you were passing was a clever touch that added clarity and interest.
I particularly liked the arrival sequence into New York. It had real atmosphere and was cinematically pleasing to see. The shadow of the mast on the underside of the Verrazano Bridge is an incredible sight to see and an extreme example of maritime confidence.
The music was well chosen and matched the feel of the visuals well – for example, the opening section showing the majesty of the ship was well matched by the choice of the regal upbeat music and the internal calm shots had the much softer music.
Overall, congratulations on achieving such a thoughtful and enjoyable film.”
Andrew Hillary, Sophia Bagheri, Jonathan Hill & Mathew Collins - 'The Return'
Judges Comments:
“A clever and simple idea for a comedy, well executed and acted throughout. The fact that it was conceived and produced in just 48 hours makes it an even more impressive achievement for the team.
The concept of applying the frustrations of returning an online purchase to the idea of “returning your husband” is truly inspired. I only hope the delivery driver didn’t just throw him over the fence but left him somewhere safe! “Male Order” clearly shows that home delivery isn’t always the best option.
The cinematography is of a very good standard — well lit, with a pleasing cinematic bokeh style. It’s evident that the camera operator knew exactly what they were doing and wasn’t simply relying on auto exposure.
Overall, the entire team should be proud of this very good film, which highlights a wealth
of creative and technical skills. As a first time entry this is all the more remarkable..”
Andrew Hillary, Sophia Bagheri, Jonathan Hill and Matthew Collins - 'The Return'
“A lady is unhappy with the “husband” she bought on-line. JAMS group’s entry for a 48hr amature video makers competition written by Andrew Hillary and showcasing Sophia Bagheri.”
Dave Skertchley - 'The Move'
Dave Skertchley - 'Moving Day'
“Its a bit of a problem on Moving Day when the last box won’t leave. Made in mixed media including Blender CGI, 2 1/2D Claymation, Card-tooning, puppets and 2D CGI made with TV Paint.”
Judges Comments:
“This collaborative film from first-year university students clearly offered the team plenty of opportunities to learn and develop new skills. From concept and storyboarding to style exploration, production techniques, sound creation, and the final edit, it’s evident that a lot of care and experimentation went into the process.
The composition and colour choices were thoughtfully executed, creating a charming cartoon-like aesthetic that many of us will recognise from childhood. The storyline, while predictably playful, fits well within that familiar style.
The Foley and sound design were particularly enjoyable, with humorous touches—such as the character’s head movements and vocal utterances—adding personality and charm.
The music was almost unnoticed, which is a good compliment to the choice and sound levels in general.
A very nice creative piece of animation that had a humorous and well written story.”
Peter Stratford -'Uyuni' - WINNER of the September Annual Club Documentary Competition
Uyuni by Peter Stratford
Exploration of Uyuni, its train grave yard and the surreal salt flats – a high altitude vista of mirages and mirrors.
Summary of 2025 Awards:
The Jackson Trophy for Overall Winner – Phil LeFanu for ‘License to Clown’
Overall Second Place – Jim Reed for ‘The Memory Illusion.
Overall Third Place – Peter Stratford for ‘When Things Go Wrong’
The Ron Clements Award for Creativity – Dave Skertchley for ‘Moving Day’
The Arthur English Memorial Trophy for Photography – Peter Stratford for ‘Salt Flats Sunset’
The Pat Doherty Award for the Best Use of Sound – Jim Reed for ‘The Memory Illusion’
The Best Holiday Movie – Philip Morley for ‘The Ship Of Dreams’
The Moorey Award for Best Documentary – Peter Stratford for ‘Uyuni’
The Penny Johnson Trophy for the Best Editing – Jim Reed for ‘Working with Ai’
The Dick Hibberd Trophy for Best Camerawork – Andrew Hillary Group for ‘The Return’
The Sir Paul Holden Trophy for Best Use of Commentary – Jim Reed for ‘Working with Ai’
First Time Winner Award – Phil LeFanu for ‘License to Clown’
Peter Stratford - Off The Rails
“A remote abandonned railway village in the high altitude Andean desert.”
“An introduction to the Queen Mary 2 Cruise Liner, how it was built, some interesting facts about it and how my wife and I enjoyed its splendor on a recent voyage from Southampton to New York.”
Judges Comments:
Brian O'Connell - 'Reform Promotional Video'
“MISSING
This was a promotional video made to support the work of Guildford Reform and to encourage local membership.”
Judges Comments:
Dave Skertchley - 'Free Tickets on the Vale of Weedol Tramway'
“We all like a bargain and Dave has some free tickets for a trip on a preserved railway.“
Judges Comments:
Paul Ashworth - 'The viewing'
“A record of a first visit to V&A East Storehouse. Shot using a Samsung S24 Ultra.”
Judges Comments:
Paul Ashworth - 'The Visit'
“A commercial for a property portfolio, captured with DJI Mini and Avatar drones.“
Judges Comments:
Marcus Henning - 'Hinton Ampner'
“A visit to Hinton Ampner; a short documentary. A bit of ‘something to do’ on a Sunday.”
Judges Comments:
Jonathan Hill - 'The Owl & the Pussycat'
“One Sunday afternoon I unexpectedly found myself at the wedding of Stuart (Owl) and Christine (Pussycat). Almost automatically I started filming with my Samsung S2 hoping to catch some of the happiness of their special day”
Judges Comments:
“Furthermore, a film made by a family who had worked together as one film unit. We see good acting talent, particularly from “deranged” Kathy.”
John Hawthorne - 'Murder in u Paesolu''
“A holiday in Corsica filmed by an evil and good director. Style: vaguely like Generation Alpha’s (think 6-7 meme) love of bad films eg Skibidi Toilet (by DaFuq!Boom!) – Plot: In English (lol), its a holiday video with a little story wrapped around it to make it more interesting for people who have seen one too many videos of other families holidays. It was filmed in southern and central Corsica.”
Judges Comments:
Peter Goodman - 'Ride to Bellagio'
“MISSING
A ‘short’ that was made for my social media channel. As it’s for social media it had to be brutally short and portrait format!”
Judges Comments:
Dave Skertchley - 'UG'
“In ancient Greece a long time ago they made pottery puppets and put on a show. Ug the pottery caveman was a visionary but even he knew he was simply a mug.”
Judges Comments:
Dave Skerchley - 'Borovets'
“I finally got around to editing my holiday films, happy memories I would like to share.”
Judges Comments:
Dave Skerchley - 'Holiday Film'
“In the genre of a typical Holiday Film“