I am finding it harder and harder to be critical of films. 

Because I am a filmmaker who understood distribution I decided in 1998 to help other British & Irish filmmakers, who were unable to secure distribution for their films. Apart from Alex Gibney's ZERO DAYS, all I released were British & Irish films. 

This week someone discussing the films I have distributed, asked me why I had distributed xxxxx (it would be unfair to name the film). Admittedly it was not a great film, but I managed to place it in the cinema, on DVD and even sold it to TV. This person just tore it apart and was very cruel about the filmmakers who have never made another movie. The “critic” has never made a film nor attempted to make one, but they are very well paid within the film industry. 

No one sets out to make a film that is not as good as it should be. I have now released over 120 films in the UK & Ireland and only one, SANCTUARY has had 100% great reviews. That said I have never had a film that had all bad reviews. Most films tend to get mixed reviews. 

What one person thinks is a not very good film another sees merit in it. 

There are an awful lot of people in the film industry who are so censorious about other people’s films, and I do not mean film critics, but so many of these people have never even tried to make a film. They make a living within the film industry in some kind of supply or facilitation function that relies on others making films. They have never nor will ever produce, direct or write a film. 

Sometimes some of those films they watch may not be as good as they should be. 

However, if you are one of those people who make a very good living from films, but you do actually make films yourself, the next time you see ones of these not as good as they should be films please do not rubbish it behind that persons back. Think of the years of hard work that have gone into making that film, often working for very little or nothing at all, and please just give the makers the respect they deserve. 

People laugh at Ed Wood’s films. They laugh as if he was an idiot, in a way they once laughed at people in lunatic asylums. He had such enthusiasm and love for the films that he made and the people he worked with, and although the result was not what many would think great films he tried his best. For that reason, he deserves respect and admiration. He was a dreamer and what the world always needs are more dreamers. 

For many reasons, Ed Wood would get my vote for Patron Saint of filmmakers, for every filmmaker I ever met is Ed Wood but some of them got very lucky along the way.