ITV1 personality, Mark Lipscomb, gave a warm welcome to the awards and was full of admiration for the standard of work seen at the festival. A good friend of the Cotswold Festival, Mark has presented the awards several times and makes each recipient feel special.  The mellow tones of Clive Blackmore, Festival Chairman, announced each winner.

Guest presenter, Mark Lipscomb, praising the dedication and hard work of Lee Prescott.

Stuart Taylor receiving the prize for Our Environment is Important.

Clive and Mark are a smooth double-act with Lee Prescott in the background handing them the relevant trophies. Mark made a special point of thanking Lee for all that he has done over nine years of festival. (At that point Lee had not announced his retirement.) Then the parade of winners began to make their way up the steep steps to the stage. Youngsters from St. Michaels School Steventon made Our Environment is Important under the guidance of substitute teacher, Stuart Taylor, who received the award.

Anthony Sutcliffe receives third prize
in the "open" category for
The Razorhead.

Lee Prescott presented a retirement
clock to Jan and Dave Watterson for
their support of the festival.

David Whitworth whose film about women who worked on the canals in WWII, Splendid People could not be present but Michael Gough from the same region collected his prize. Anthony Sutcliffe's film of an amazing haircut, The Razorhead, raised gasps and laughs from the audience. Lee Prescott stepped in to make a special award to the Wattersons for their support of the festival as judges and webmaster.

Robin Whenary  receiving
the Jessops Award for excellent videography for Seeing.

Barney and Lucy Heyood receive the Best Sound award for Back in Ten.

A welcome surprise at the festival was that school student, Lana Tannir, and her mother arrived from Munich "just for the day as Lana has homework to finish!" Lana, who shot Crimson with friends, wants to go into the film business and watched every detail of the winning films closely. Robin Whenary's thoughtful film Seeing was a fine example of observation - a film which makes us use our eyes. Brother and sister, Barney and Lucy Heywood, made Back in Ten about an encounter between a bright small boy and an old man channelling the spirit of Janis Joplin. It presented one of those magic moments, when we learn something which may guide the rest of our lives - in this case to choose your own way and seize the day.

Dave Watterson collects the
second prize and PSA Gold Medal
on behalf of Ernst Auhuber for
Mosel Gold.

Jan Watterson collects the  third prize for Bernhard Hausberger for
Oldiegarage.

Naturally with an international entry not all winners could attend.  Some major awards were received on behalf of the winners. Linda Gough from the North East collected Trevor Ermel's prize for his fast-paced set of glimpses of Paris. Dave and Jan Watterson are regular visitors to a major Austrian festival and accepted awards on behalf of two film makers from the Tyrol. Ernst Auhuber's study of vineyards contrasted with Bernhard Hausberger's documentary about Manni, who was born without legs and now runs his own garage for vintage Porsches.

Doug Collender receiving
the award for
Keep Your Hands on Your Knees.

Phil Martin receiving his award for
In the National Interest
as Overall Best Film of the festival.

Chris Wheatley - won the "open" category with a music video, Get It Right, (see it here) a music video made for a singer let down by her previous management and something of a contrast with the tourist videos with which he made his name. Doug Collender took second prize in the "open" category. Though this category is mainly used by professionals, it allows slightly longer films and so Doug, one of Newcastle's best known amateur film makers entered as such. Keep Your Hands on Your Knees is a history of the Boy Scout / Ralph Reader Gang Shows in Newcastle filled with young performers singing and dancing.

Phil Martin received huge applause for In The National Interest a dramatised documentary showing a meeting of Britain's WWII Joint Intelligence Committee hearing first hand from a Polish resistance worker about the death camp at Auschwitz and deciding the "evidence was unacceptable." It is quite a change from the charming one-minute romantic tale I Just Knew with which he took the top amateur award in 2004.

After the awards had been presented, Lee Prescott announced his retirement  ... report.