After long and unexplained delays we finally have an opportunity for members and subscribers to Sight & Sound to elect a person to sit on the BFI Board of Governors. The booklet containing the candidates and their biographies and statements is now on the BFI Website.
A ballot paper and unique pin number will be either posted to you or sent by email. As in previous years, the ballot will be managed for the BFI by Electoral Reform Services (ERS), one of the world’s most respected independent balloting bodies. The phone number and online system are both controlled by ERS. Please cast your vote by phone or online, quoting the unique security code on your ballot paper. In the event that you have received an email from ERS you may only vote at the website provided. If you receive a ballot paper by post you may vote online and by using the telephone number provided.
The ballot is open 24 hours a day and closes at noon on Friday 11 December 2015. You must vote by that time for your vote to be included in the election.
If you have any queries please contact member.governor.election@bfi.org.uk.
However there is no real explanation as to why we will only have one representative. There is a brief mention in the Minutes of the Board for June 2015, but this does not give rationale. There may be more in the July Minutes, which have not yet been posted. Electors who only read the circulars may be unaware that until recently we had two representatives: one of whom was supposed to represent the regions. I have sent several emails to the Board Office pointing out that this information should be made available to voters, clearly to little effect.
My name is among the candidates, so I should resist the opportunity to score points vis-a-vis the others. I do believe we need a change of representative. I was pleased to see that several of the candidates actually make statements about being accessible and responding to the electorate. And a couple also make points about the regions beyond the metropolis, the latter dominates the existing Board.
A couple also make the important point that there is this anachronistic ‘10% rule’ which mean if enough votes are not cast there will not be a representative. In such a case we can wave goodbye to Member Governors. So I hope you will be taken with my Statement, but at a minimum you should vote if entitled.
itp Global Film 
If anyone is a BFI Member or S&S subscriber I urge you to read the candidate statements via the link Keith gives above. As far as I can see only one other candidate lives outside London or the South East and as Keith points out there should be a representative from outside London – it is the ‘British’ and not the ‘London’ Film Institute. But then there should be two Member Governors. You will also note from the various statements that other candidates are concerned by the general direction of BFI policy and the detached style of management just like Keith. Please vote!
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