THE CATHOLIC FILM SOCIETY

President: The Rt. Rev. the Bishop of ' Nottingham. All communications to be addressed to Miss J. O'Sullivan, Honorary Secretary, Catholic Film Society, 36, Great Smith Street, Westminster, S.W.1.
MODERN INSTRUCTIONAL FILMS
At the February meeting of the C.F.S.,• held in the Millicent Fawcett Hall, at 8 p.m., on Wednesday. February 5, Miss Lockett, head of Gaumont British Instruction, spoke on new developments in the educational cinema.
NEED FOR CO-OPERATION British instructional films, she said, have in many respects advanced further than those of any other country, but nevertheless are only just beginning to derive from co-operation in educational circles that criticism and help without which it is impossible to learn their value in education.
ESSENTIALS OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL FILM The instructional film in the hands of the teacher must be simple in both outlook and presentation. All irrelevancies, even the perfectly legitimate desires of a director to produce films which are materially attractive, must be suppressed.
AN IMPORTANT POINT A point upon which Miss Lockett laid particular emphasis was that the quality and value of an instructional film can only be assessed truly when the film is seen in its context. A film made for a particular purpose, or as one of a series, should not be shown otherwise.
SUITABLE SUBJECTS From the first geography has offered itself as a suitable subject for the educational film.
Experience has shown, however, that subjects which lend themselves more especially to the film as a medium for presentation are those appearing in a particularly modern curriculum and which have not had very much tradition attached to them: for example, biology.
CHOICE EXAMPLES OF INSTRUCTIONAL FILMS
The programme of sound and silent films projected by Mr. N. Marshall, who had kindly come specially from Nottingham for the purpose, contained some choice examples of Gaumont British instructional films. Town Settlement and Animal Life in the Hedgerows dealt with country life, while Oberammergau was informed with the dignified restraint and true religious feeling for which the subject calls.
FROM THE PROJECTION GROUP DIARY The success of the first show given by one of our projection units at St. Martin's Convent. Muswell Hill, was such that they have received an invitation to give another display at the same place. Yesterday evening they paid their second visit and were received as enthusiastically as on the first occasion.
Forthcoming engagements include a show to be given. at Aliens Wood Girls' Boarding School, Wimbledon Park, S.W.
LENTEN FILM DISPLAYS Applications continue to reach us from priests, schools and convents in the London area for displays of the special Lenten film programmes which the projection group is now arranging.
If you wish to book, please write now to the honorary secretary, address as above.
LECTURE BY FR. FERDINAND VALENTINE, O.P.
The chairman of the society, Fr. Ferdinand Valentine, 0.P., will lecture on "The Sacrifice of the Mass " at the next monthly meeting at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, at Millicent Fawcett Hall. Tickets, price Is. (reserved Is. 6d.), from the hon. secretary as above.
FUTURE FIXTURES, GRAVE AND GAY On March 5, Fr. Ferdinand is giving a day of recollection to members and helpers of the C.F.S.
On February 25, there will be a dance at the Millicent Fawcett Hall, the proceeds of which will be devoted to the making of Catholic films.
Further particulars of both the above fixtures may be obtained from the hon. secretary.