Tropfest Short Film FestivalWriting for Digital Media Blog #6 - Tropfest Short Film Festival
When I was in Hawaii studying on exchange at Hawaii Pacific University I was lucky enough to Tropfest is an Australian film festival and it is the world’s largest short film festival. It also hosts the largest live audience for short films in Australia the best thing of all is that it is a free, outdoors festival. Tropfest began in 1993 as a screening for 200 people at a venue called the 'Tropicana Cafe' in the suburb of Darlinghurst - Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. It was founded by John Polson, he is also an actor and director. The concept is said to all have started with him, “a man and a cafe and one simple idea”- he wanted to create a platform for talented filmmakers and a new wave of storytelling voices. Since then it has grown to become the largest platform for short films in the world and is a competition for emerging filmmakers to share their stories. The festival was originally called the Tropicana Short Film Festival - but after some rebranding it is now referred to as the Tropfest - Twenty-five years later, Tropfest has become the world's largest short film festival and one of Australia’s most iconic cultural events. Tropfest is recognized for their generous contribution to the development of the Australian film industry through events and initiatives that deliver ever-expanding audiences to view their work, locally and globally. I will be returning home to Australia in December so lucky for me, Tropfest usually takes place in January each year in Sydney NSW, but it is also broadcast live to various cities around Australia to an audience of approximately 150,000 via the SBS, the Special Broadcast Network. It was reported that just last year at the Sydney Tropfest in 2015, the organizer had announced that it was cancelled less than a month before it was scheduled to run. But the news was spread fast, and after much support on social media, Tropfest founder Polson announced in early December 2015 that extra funding had been sourced. The festival took place in Centennial Park on Sunday, 14 February 2016. This year they have a new venue and in February 2017 Tropfest would be held in a suburb called Parramatta on the west side of Sydney, NSW. One of the most unique aspects of the competition is that every film must be made specifically for Tropfest. The intention is to encourage filmmakers to get better at the craft of filmmaking, by making more unique content. This is achieved through having an annual Tropfest Signature Item (TSI) that must be included in their film. The have already announced that for 2017 the theme will be Pineapples. Some the previous themes have be to incorporate a Card in 2015, in 2014 it was a Mirror, in 2013 they had to include ‘December’ and Change in 2013 it was a month again ‘February’ and Balloon. In 2012 – Light bulb, 2011 – Key, 2010 – Dice, 2009 – Spring, 2008 – The Number 82007– Sneeze 2006– Bubble 2005– Umbrella 2004– Hook 2003– Rock 2002– Match 2001 – Horn, 2000 – Bug 1999 – Chopsticks and in 1998 – Kiss, 1997 – Gherkin 1996 – Teaspoon, in 1995 – Coffee Bean 1994 – it was Muffin. With a pineapple theme I am interested to see how many of the short films will also include a Hawaiian theme.
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AuthorNicoleRoseAnna an Aquarian, middle child, grand-daughter, sister, aunty, cousin and niece. On the road to becoming a Sociologist specialising in Film & Television. Archives
December 2016
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