The Annual Competition is the main event for the members to compete in and is usually held at the end of January and beginning of February. It is open to film and video/dvd and both are regarded equally in the judging and in the presentations. There is no entry fee but an entry form should be completed for each film or video/dvd entered. We also hold a still photography competition, for more information on this, (The Budgie Cup) please see the bottom of this page (or click the link).

Many trophies are awarded in our Annual Competition in classes such as Fiction, Documentary, Animation, Travel, Family, Holiday, etc., but you do not need to specify the class beforehand. There is no limit to the length of the production but it is an accepted fact that long films, say 30 minutes or more, stand much less chance of being prize-winners than the shorter films.

Three adjudicators judge the films and prepare comments on each one. They also decide which films are to be shown on the two nights and, most importantly, they decide the winners of the various trophies. Although there are 14 trophies to be awarded, the judges may withhold some if they feel that there is no entry of sufficient standard to merit an award.

Download Entry Form (See Syllabus for this years key dates)


E.C.V.S. has a wide selection of trophies awarded in a range of categories.

Previous Winners (to be completed)
2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006
2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996
1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986
1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976
1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966
1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956
1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946
1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936

Some more information on the individual trophies awarded during the annual competition, and their history can be found below:


LIZARS TROPHY

LIZARS TROPHY

This is the top award in the Annual Competition and may be won by a film entry. It is our oldest cup and dates back to our first Annual Competition in 1937. It is solid silver, presented by the Optical and Photographic retailers, Messrs J Lizars.

50th ANNIVERSARY TROPHY

50th ANNIVERSARY TROPHY

This award is made to the film which is runner-up to the Lizars winner. Originally the Lizars Trophy was for a cine film entry; the 50th Anniversary Trophy was presented in 1986 to be awarded to the Best Video but, as both cine-film and video are regarded equally, this trophy is now for the Runner-Up.

ALAN HARPER TROPHY

ALAN HARPER TROPHY

The award for the best Documentary Film was given by Alan Harper, a Director of Campbell-Harper Films which specialised in the making of documentary films. Alan Harper regularly appeared on judging panels for the E.C.S. Annual Competition.

HENDRY TROPHY

HENDRY TROPHY

The original designation was for the best family or holiday film'. This still applies but it is more often given to a family film now. Jim Hendry who gave the cup, was a former President of Edinburgh Cine Society and made successful 16mm family films.

DOUGLAS TROPHY

DOUGLAS TROPHY

An award for the best Travel Film, it was specially commissioned, cast in silver and takes the form of a hand holding a cine camera. The name comes from Douglas Lornie who, at the time, was the owner of the Douglas Studios, a Reprographic and Photographic processing firm in the city.

THE WAVERLEY PLATE

THE WAVERLEY PLATE

This trophy was presented anonymously for the best Fiction Film. It takes its name from the original title of our Society which for the first two years of its life was known as 'The Waverley Cine Society'.

REG CARDEN SCISSORS

REG CARDEN SCISSORS

This is an unique trophy and consists of a pair of scissors mounted on a wooden base. As its name and design implies, it is for editing. Now that video film entries are accepted the trophy may be won by a videotape or dvd, even though scissors are no longer used in editing videos! Reg Carden was a most enthusiastic member when he lived in Edinburgh; he has now retired and lives in the New Forest.

THE BILL WALKER TROPHY

THE BILL WALKER TROPHY

This trophy was presented as a Sound Award and shows a microphone mounted on a wooden base. It is not so much for the physical quality of the sound track but rather for the USE of sound and originality in the construction of the sound track.

THE SCOTIA QUAICH

THE SCOTIA QUAICH

No prizes for guessing that this is an award for a film about Scotland or on a Scottish subject. It is actually a real quaich and, surprisingly, it has sometimes not been awarded as there were no films or videos about Scotland!

THE ELLIOT TROPHY

THE ELLIOT TROPHY

Intended as an award for comedy or humour but the judges have sometimes been rather pedantic in the interpretation of 'Comedy' as opposed to 'Humour'. This should really be quite irrelevant and, if a film is sufficiently funny or witty to make you smile or laugh, then it should be eligible.

THE BROCK TROPHY

THE BROCK TROPHY

This trophy is for the film showing the greatest imagination. Difficult to assess sometimes and occasionally it has been withheld but each year we hope that there will be some film with sufficiently imaginative filming or ideas behind it to justify its award.

ELENA MAE TROPHY

ELENA MAE TROPHY

Once this trophy was for the best film made in artificial light; now it is for the best animation film but sadly there have not been many eligible entries in the last few years.

THE MARWICK SHIELD

THE MARWICK SHIELD

A recent sub-committee reviewing the various awards recommended that this Trophy be awarded as "The Judges' Choice". You might argue that the Lizars winner is the judges' choice of the best film; however, the idea behind the reasoning is that it could be awarded to, say, an excellent fiction film which was runner-up to the Waverley Plate winner. There is no other class it could get an award in, so let it be rewarded with the Marwick Shield.

THE VICE-PRESIDENT�S PRIZE

THE VICE-PRESIDENT'S PRIZE

This is awarded on the first of the two nights showing of the entries in the Annual Competition. It gives the audience a little additional interest in the viewing of the films.

THE FRANK WALKER SALVER

THE FRANK WALKER SALVER

Originally the President's Prize, it is now named after Frank Walker, an excellent film-maker who was four times our President. This trophy is awarded on the basis of the audience vote on the final night of the film showings. Should there be only enough entries for a single night, then the Frank Walker Salver goes to the film with the highest marks and the Vice-President's Prize to the runner-up in this vote.

GEORGE MARAN PLAQUE

GEORGE MARAN PLAQUE

The "First Award Competition" is a sub-competition to the main Annual Competition, it is open to any member who has never previously won a film or video competition (either in E.C.V.S. or elsewhere). There is no restriction on subject matter, no set theme and no time limit. There are two awards for this event; the top award is the GEORGE MARAN PLAQUE.

NOVICE CUP

NOVICE CUP

The "First Award Competition" is a sub-competition to the main Annual Competition, it is open to any member who has never previously won a film or video competition (either in E.C.V.S. or elsewhere). There is no restriction on subject matter, no set theme and no time limit. The runner-up in this competition gets the NOVICE CUP.


THE BUDGIE CUP

THE BUDGIE CUP

This is not a movie competition at all! It is for the best colour transparency or digital photograph. Members are allowed to enter six slides which should be author identified correctly, The unusual title of the competition is because the trophy (a pewter tankard) was presented by the Budgerigar Society when E.C.S. helped them out many years ago.

You can take a look at some of the winning entries from previous years Budgie Cup competitions by clicking the following links:

Previous Budgie Cup Winners
2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006

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