Tropfest 2016 (update)

By Ben Stephens.

In late 2015, it looked like our friends at Tropfest were no more, in fact the entire festival was cancelled. But with the help of CGU Insurance, Tropfest 2016 will be happening in the heart of Centennial Park, this Sunday, February 14. Note to all the romantically-inclined, Valentine’s Day at the world largest short film festival is looking like a good option.

This year will see 16 finalists go head to head to take out the prestigious award that is Tropfest. The winning short film nabs a cool $10,000 in prize money, a trip to Los Angeles for a week of meetings with industry big wigs, a brand new Nikon D800 and of course take home the coveted fruit trophy.

Now to select the winner of such a competition, you need an esteemed panel of assessors and that is exactly what the team at Tropfest have come up with. The judges so far include Simon Baker (The Mentalist), Rebecca Gibney (Packed to the Rafters), Don McApline (Moulin Rouge, Cinematographer) and Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker, Director) with more judges to be named this week.

Tropfest is a free event and will open the gates at 3pm on Sunday, with the first film showing from 7:30pm. Don’t waste time in getting down there, as you will want to make sure you get a good piece of grass to throw down your rug, get the picnic spread out and let the wine breathe. If you can’t make it down to the action, SBS2 will be showing all 16 entries and exclusive interviews from 9pm.

To continue the good work that Tropfest achieves each year by showcasing the best in short films, founder and director, John Polson and the team have started a Pozible campaign to help make sure that Tropfest can continue producing the festival for many more years to come.

If you want to complete the night, check out our Fresh Start Mondays package, which includes a night in a QT Deluxe King Room and parking Sunday night and all day Monday.