Tropfest 2014 Australia

The world’s largest short film festival kicks off on 7th December. Although the festival plays host to a variety of genres, most of the films announced are comedies. So it’s a great excuse to go watch some funny movies and appear cultured.

The 16 finalists will be announced later today, and will premiere live in Sydney’s Centennial Park whilst being broadcast to outdoor screens across Australia. An even larger audience will be able to watch the free-to-air broadcast on SBS 2.

Tropfest started out with 200 people in a café in 1993. 22 years later the event attracts an audience of around 150,000, with standalone competitions in New Zealand, New York and the Middle East. Its founder, John Polson, started the festival “to raise the profile of creative filmmakers and to share stories that, without this platform, might not otherwise be told.”

Filmmakers are challenged to include the Tropfest Signature Item, ‘Mirror’. Some have interpreted this as a reflection on the past and its influences, including a family who travel to Saigon to explore their grandfather’s experiences during the Vietnam War, whilst another focuses on the secrets uncovered by a native Australian family. Others spotlight current society, including a ‘Little Britain’-style study of Bondi Stereotypes.

Many of the films feature some well-known Aussie names. These include Eve Vizard, Pia Miranda as the wife of Alan Dukes from ‘The Little Death’, Roy Billing as a stately family head and Cassandra Magrath as a bridesmaid. Plus Shari Sebbens from ‘The Sapphires’ appears in a snuggie.

With a top prize of a new Toyota, $10,000 and a trip to Los Angeles to meet with film executives, there should be some quality films on offer next month. Check tropfest.com/au for festival details, finalists and screening venues.