Review: Tropfest 2012 Film Festival

Do you remember how you spent your 20th birthday? No, thought not. But anyone involved with Tropfest 2012 certainly will. The international short film festival celebrated twenty years with a full weekend bash only marred by an electrical storm in Sydney’s Domain on the final night.

The winner of Movie Extra Tropfest 2012 was Lemonade Stand; a charming comedy about mateship centred around a boy and his grandfather’s fight to save their lemonade stall from an interfering neighbour. However, only a few hundred were left to see it as the night quickly became a washout with 28mm of rain falling in just 20 minutes.

The short was picked out by a stellar panel of judges including Oscar winners Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush as well as acclaimed actresses Toni Collette and Asher Keddie. Also spotted on the black carpet was Joel Edgerton sporting a 1920’s mo as he continues filming The Great Gatsby with co-star Tobey Maguire.

Winning director Alethea Jones revealed that she signed up to the dole only two weeks prior but after scooping the top prize she now has a money cant buy trip to Los Angeles to meet film industry executives, agents and managers. Not to mention the $10,000 prize money (better not declare that at the Centrelink office).

Upon winning the bizarre two-piece fruit bowl trophy, Jones said: “I registered for Centrelink two weeks ago, so maybe, maybe I might get a job this year as a director. Maybe. Just one job will be awesome.”

Runner up was Boo, a comedy about an elderly couple who play dead directed by Rupert Reid who also won the Telstra Crowd Pleaser Award. The film featured Don Reid who was awarded Best Male Actor. Kate McNamara won Best Female Actor for her role in Kitchen Sink Drama. Marie Petane won the Moet and Chandon Women In Film Award while Jason van Genderen won first place in the Telstra Mobile Masterpieces competition with his entry The 53rd Hour.

The event itself will largely be remembered for the electrical storm which reduced a capacity crowd enjoying the sunshine and free popcorn in The Domain to a few hundred hardy, drenched souls. What was an outbreak of drizzle at around 9pm developed into a deluge during the fourth film, Im Free To Be Me, just as Youtube sensation, Tommy Franklin, was discussing dancing in the rain. The irony was not lost on a rapidly dispersing crowd as lightning soon illuminated the night sky.

Tropfest founder, John Polson, said: “I couldn’t believe it, in the pouring rain, that people would stay and watch these films. In some ways it’s disappointing when this happens but it also reminds you how important this is, that even torrential rain isn’t going to stop Tropfest.” Asked if Tropfest was ideally scheduled in the notoriously wet month of February it was barely surprising that he admitted; “We might be looking at moving it.”

Over 700 short films entered the Australian leg and were narrowed down to a selection of 16 to be shown across sites in Australia and New Zealand as well as a live television broadcast and online stream. The films were unique in that they were each seven minutes long, created especially for the festival, will premiere there and included a signature item which this year was a light bulb.

The festival has come a long way since its humble beginnings from a cafe in Sydney’s Darlinghurst. Polson began the ‘Tropicana Short Film Festival’ back in 1992 to just 200 people but the festival has since expanded internationally to Europe, Asia and America.

By Omar Soliman

@Wiz52

Images by Lauren Martin