View source for Tropfest

{{Short description|Australian short film festival}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox film festival
| name           = Tropfest
| logo           = TropFest Logo.jpg
| founded        = 1993
| last           = 2019
| location       = [[Tropfest#Locations|Australia]]
| language       = English
| website        = {{URL|https://filmfreeway.com/tropfest}}
}}
[[File:Tropfest 2011.jpg|thumb|Tropfest in Sydney, February 2011]]
'''Tropfest''' is the world's largest [[short film]] [[film festival|festival]]. It has also become known as the world's first global film festival.

Founded by actor/director [[John Polson]], Tropfest began in 1993 as a screening for 200 people at the 'Tropicana Caffe'  in [[Darlinghurst]], [[Sydney]], Australia, but has since become the largest platform for short films in the world. Tropfest Australia usually takes place in February each year in Sydney and it has been broadcast live via free-to-air television as well as global streaming and catch-up. Sydney Tropfest 2015 was cancelled less than a month before it was scheduled to run. After much support on social media, Tropfest founder Polson announced in early December 2015 that extra funding had been sourced, and the festival took place in [[Centennial Park, Sydney|Centennial Park]] on 14 February 2016. In August 2016 it was announced that from February 2017 Sydney's Tropfest would be held in [[Parramatta Park, New South Wales|Parramatta Park]].

While the festival has been on hiatus since 2019, Polson has stated that he is hopeful the festival will return.<ref>[https://honisoit.com/2022/10/have-we-seen-the-last-of-tropfest/] Have we seen the last of Tropfest? | Honi Soit 2022</ref> In 2025 it was announced that the festival would return.

==Entry requirements==
Tropfest differs from other cinema events by being a "content generation" platform, rather than an exhibition platform. Filmmakers are required to create new works for the festival which must include an item, known as the "[[Tropfest#Signature item|Tropfest Signature Item]]" (TSI) and which changes each year. The films must be less than 7 minutes (including titles and credits) and be world premieres at the Tropfest event.

==History==
The festival's name is derived from the first year's location—the Tropicana Caffe in [[Darlinghurst]], an inner-eastern suburb of Sydney.<ref name=tropcaf-hist>{{cite web|title=Tropicana Cafe - History|url=http://www.tropicanacaffe.com/index.php/history|publisher=Tropicana Cafe|access-date=6 December 2015|date=2013}}</ref> Created by Australian-born filmmaker John Polson, the first festival was held in 1993 and was originally called the '''''Tropicana Short Film Festival'''''.

The support and involvement of film personalities from around the world has become one of the trademarks of the festival. Selection of the winning Tropfest film takes place live on the night of the festival by a panel of high-profile industry and celebrity judges, in addition to the previous year's winner. Past judges have included [[Nicole Kidman]], [[Cate Blanchett]], [[Naomi Watts]], [[Toni Collette]], [[Rose Byrne]], [[Geoffrey Rush]], [[Russell Crowe]], [[John Woo]], [[Samuel L. Jackson]], [[Baz Luhrmann]], [[Keanu Reeves]], [[Sam Neill]], [[Ewan McGregor]], [[Jane Campion]], [[Salma Hayek]], [[George Miller (filmmaker)|George Miller]], [[Susan Sarandon]] and [[Gabriel Byrne]]. Judges in 2018 included [[Eric Bana]], [[Aaron Pedersen]], [[Marta Dusseldorp]], [[David Michôd]], [[Jessica McNamee]] and [[Michele Bennett (film producer)|Michele Bennett]]. Corporate supporters have included [[Intel]], [[Sony]], [[Qantas]], [[Cointreau]] and [[Howard Park Wines|MadFish Wines]]. [[Movie Network|Movie Extra]] used to be the primary sponsor of Tropfest Australia, which is now supported by [[Holden]], [[Parramatta City Council]], [[Screen Australia]], [[Western Sydney University]], [[Parramatta Park, New South Wales|Parramatta Park]] and [[Melrose Park, New South Wales|Melrose Park]].

The festival attracts wide media coverage but it is the casual, [[grassroots]] nature of the event, rather than its high profile, which ensures the continued support of its patrons and guests. Notable alumni include filmmakers and actors such as [[Alister Grierson]], [[Rowan Woods]], [[Clayton Jacobson (director)|Clayton Jacobson]], [[Alethea Jones]], [[Joel Edgerton]], [[Daina Reid]], [[Nash Edgerton]], Peter Carstairs, [[Rob Carlton]], [[Rebel Wilson]], [[Sam Worthington]], [[Robert Connolly]], [[Leon Ford]], Justin Drape, Tim Bullock and [[Elissa Down]].

Tropfest now includes the popular [[Trop Jr]], a short filmmaking competition and festival for youngsters under 16.

Other Tropfest programs have included:

* APRA TROPSCORE, a film scoring and synching competition
* [[Nikon]] [[Digital single-lens reflex camera|DSLR]] Film Category, a category in the competition awarding short films created using DSLR technology
* [[Holden]] 7 second Challenge, a 7-second film competition

==Locations==
The main event from 1993 to 2016 took place in [[Sydney]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sydney.com/events|title=Sydney Events|publisher=Sydney.com|access-date=28 January 2013}}</ref> but live satellite events have also been staged in [[Melbourne]], [[Canberra]], [[Brisbane]], [[Adelaide]], [[Hobart]], [[Perth]] and other cities. The event has been broadcast live on television by [[ABC Comedy]], [[Movie Network]], [[Special Broadcasting Service|SBS]] and other networks and webcast to viewers around Australia and the world. In August 2016 it was announced that, beginning in February 2017, the venue would be moved to [[Parramatta]] in western Sydney.<ref name="Abc-mve-parra">{{cite news |title=Parramatta to host Tropfest |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-15/tropfest-short-film-festival-moves-to-parramatta/7736308 |access-date=17 August 2016 |work=ABC News u|publisher=ABC Australia |date=15 August 2016}}</ref>

Tropfest has expanded to locations around the world including Japan, [[Turkey]], [[Africa]], [[Abu Dhabi]], [[London]], [[Berlin]], [[Toronto]], [[Bangkok]], and [[New York City]]. The inaugural [[Tropfest Arabia]], encompassing approximately 33 countries throughout the [[Middle East]] and [[North Africa]], took place in Abu Dhabi in November 2011. Tropfest launched into the United States in June 2012, with a weekend-long event in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]] and a fully-fledged Tropfest New York competition in New York on 23 June 2012 at Manhattan's [[Bryant Park]]. Tropfest New Zealand launched in 2013 and Tropfest South East Asia at [[Penang]], [[Malaysia]] in 2014.

==Festival==
[[File:Madfish tropfest 2009.jpg|thumb|right|200px| Tropfest 2009 at [[Howard Park Wines|MadFish Winery]] [[Margaret River, Western Australia]]]]
Each year there are hundreds and hundreds of entries featuring the TSI and every year 16 finalists are screened in public to a huge live audience in Sydney. Annual audiences of around 100,000 people in [[The Domain, Sydney|The Domain]] have been recorded, to watch the finalists on large video screens. With a television and on-line audience, this number swells to hundreds of thousands.

The Sydney screening of Tropfest 2006 was abandoned after 13 films due to severe electrical storms. Screenings in other cities were not affected. With the judges located in Sydney it was necessary to announce the winners two days later at a press conference.

Each film must be no longer than seven minutes, have never been shown publicly before and contain the "Tropfest Signature Item", which changes each year, to show that the film was made specifically for the festival.

In April 2007, Tropfest formed a partnership with [[Nine Entertainment|PBL Media]] which would see festival content archived and screened across various PBL properties and brands.<ref>{{cite news | first=Michael | last=Bodey | title=PBL's long-term plan for Tropfest shorts | date=19 April 2007 | url =http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21580275-7582,00.html | archive-url =https://archive.today/20121215192332/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21580275-7582,00.html | url-status =dead | archive-date =15 December 2012 | work =[[The Australian]]| access-date = 2007-04-19 }}</ref>

For Tropfest 2009, pay television channel [[Movie Network|Movie Extra]] replaced Sony as the naming rights sponsor for the next seven years.  A new feature in 2009 was the live national broadcast of Tropfest and screening of the finalist films on the Movie Extra channel.<ref>[http://www.bandt.com.au/dirplus/images/bttoday/newsletter/07_08_2008.pdf Tropfest loses Sony and gains Movie Extra] - B&T Today, 7 Aug 2008 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320172511/http://www.bandt.com.au/dirplus/images/bttoday/newsletter/07_08_2008.pdf |date=20 March 2009 }}</ref>

Tropfest Australia 2011 was the largest Tropfest ever staged, and reached a national audience of approximately 1,000,000 people (not including the internet).

Prior to the first full Tropfest New York competition in June 2012, Tropfest held annual New York screenings between 2006 and 2008. Signature items were a manhole cover, a slice, and a sunflower respectively. In November 2011, ahead of the 2012 competition, filmmakers were invited to "grab a camera, start shooting and tell their story through film", using the Tropfest NY 2012 Signature Item of "Bagel".

Over a weekend in June 2012, [[Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas|The Cosmopolitan]] in Las Vegas celebrated Tropfest's 20th anniversary, culminating in a screening of the best 16 films from the past two decades in the Tropfest All Star Competition. With judges Toni Collette (President of the Jury), [[Tobey Maguire]], [[Rebel Wilson]], [[James Woods]], [[Anthony LaPaglia]], Trevor Groth and Charles Randolph presiding over the competition, ''The Story of Bubble Boy'', directed by Sean Ascroft, ultimately took the top prize.

A few weeks later, on 23 June 2012, Tropfest New York had its debut in [[Bryant Park]]. Hosted by [[Hugh Jackman]] and including musical performances by [[Alexi Murdoch]] and [[Milagres (band)|Milagres]], the festival attracted a crowd of approximately 10,000. Judges [[Rose Byrne]], [[Judah Friedlander]], [[Jennifer Westfeldt]], Scott Foundas and [[Ted Hope]] awarded the $20,000 first prize to director Josh Leake for his film ''Emptys''.  Tropfest NY 2013 festival was held on 22 June in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, with a bridge as the signature item.  In 2014 Tropfest postponed its New York event.  The festival planned a 2015 event, using a kiss as the signature item, which was originally announced for 2014.

Tropfest has one of the most successful channels on [[YouTube]], having attracted more than 45,000,000 video views for its films in a relatively short time.{{clarify|date=January 2013}}

In February 2013 festival founder John Polson announced a change of date to 8 December and a change of venue from the Domain to [[Centennial Park, New South Wales|Centennial Park]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hardie|first1=Giles|title=It's time to leave home as Tropfest turns 21|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/its-time-to-leave-home-as-tropfest-turns-21-20130217-2el7m.html|access-date=2 March 2015|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|date=17 February 2013}}</ref>  ''We feel like we are changing gears, we are growing every year and Centennial Park is in some ways the emotional heart of Sydney.''

The winner of the December 2013 festival, ''Bamboozled'', was accused of [[homophobia]] and [[transphobia]].<ref name=news-bamboozled>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/tropfest-winner-bamboozled-accused-of-transphobia/story-e6frfmvr-1226779160847|title=Tropfest winner Bamboozled accused of transphobia |date=9 December 2013|work=[[News.com.au]]|access-date=9 December 2013}}</ref> It is a comedy in which a man sleeps with a man he believes to be his [[transitioning (transgender)|transitioned]] ex-girlfriend.<ref name=news-bamboozled/>

==2015 cancellation==
On 11 November Polson announced that the 2015 Sydney Tropfest had been cancelled. He said "... I have been made aware that the company contracted to raise the funding and administer the Tropfest event is unable to move forward for financial reasons."<ref name=abc-2015-cancel>{{cite news |title=Tropfest short film festival cancelled over 'terrible mismanagement' of funds |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-11/tropfest-cancelled-over-terrible-mismanagement-of-funds/6933142 |access-date=11 November 2015 |work=ABC News|date=11 November 2015}}</ref><ref name=facebook-2015-cancel>{{cite web |title=2015 Tropfest Cancelled |url=https://www.facebook.com/tropfest/posts/973324956047111  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/131115713601377/973324956047111 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|website=Facebook |publisher=Tropfest Pty Ltd |access-date=11 November 2015 |date=11 November 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> CEO of Tropfest Festival Productions, Michael Laverty, has been unavailable for comment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/mlaverty18|title=Michael Laverty (@mlaverty18) - Twitter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/tropfest-cancelled-after-huge-hole-in-funding-20151111-gkwoxv.html|title=Exclusive: Tropfest cancelled after 'huge hole' in funding|first=Garry|last=Maddox|date=11 November 2015}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Location !! Venue !! Date !! Notes
|-
| Tropfest Australia || Centennial Parklands, [[Sydney]] || 6 December 2015 || Rescheduled for 14 February 2016<ref name=abc-tropfest-on />
|-
| Tropfest South East Asia|| The Esplanade, [[Penang]] || 1 February 2015 ||
|-
| Tropfest New Zealand || TSB Bowl of Brooklands, [[New Plymouth]] || 14 February 2015 ||
|-
| Tropfest United States || Prospect Park, [[New York City|New York]] || TBC ||
|-
| [[Tropfest Arabia]] || TBC || TBC||
|-
|}

===Financial difficulties===
Polsons said he had discovered to his "surprise" Tropfest was facing a financial crisis and could not proceed due to a lack of funds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/11/12/05/20/tropfest-founder-launches-legal-action-as-festival-cancelled|title=Tropfest founder launches legal action as festival cancelled|date=12 November 2015 }}</ref> It emerged the management company Polson had fallen out with over the alleged "mismanagement" of Tropfest funds was managed by Laverty, his long-time Tropfest partner and its managing director.

Over the following days it emerged suppliers and contracted partners of Tropfest had been experiencing payment delays for several months. As of 14 November Laverty was un-contactable for any comments.<ref name=d-tele-fallout/> Commercial entertainment services agency The Intersection, which was retained in 2014 by Tropfest, issued a statement on Facebook stating its relationship with Tropfest ended in 2014 over a pay dispute.<ref name=d-tele-fallout>[http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/tropfest-john-polson-and-michael-laverty-fall-out-over-funding-crisis/story-fni0cvc9-1227606938007 The Daily Telegraph]</ref>

An outpouring of support for Tropfest quickly appeared over social media, including [[Twitter]] and [[Facebook]], with calls for generous benefactors, state or federal government support, or crowd-funding.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-12/tropfest-cancellation-public-reaction/6933336|title=Tropfest cancellation sparks outpouring of support|newspaper=ABC News |date=12 November 2015}}</ref>

On 6 December Polson announced that the Sydney festival would be held in its intended venue, Centennial Park on 14 February 2016. [[CGU Insurance]] was the source of the necessary extra funding.<ref name=abc-tropfest-on>{{cite news|title=Tropfest film festival set to return after securing financial lifeline, organisers say|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-06/tropfest-secures-financial-lifeline-organisers/7005144|access-date=6 December 2015|work=ABC News|agency=ABC|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=6 December 2015}}</ref>

==2026 revival==
On 1 September 2025, it was announced that Tropfest would be returning after a six-year hiatus in February 2026, with the help of industry partners ([[YouTube]]), big business ([[Commonwealth Bank]]) and [[Nine Network]] as a major broadcaster. Also announced was the appointment of [[Sarah Murdoch]] as the [[Chairwoman]] of the new organisation, The Tropfest Foundation, with [[Peter V'landys]], [[Bryan Brown]] and others to round out the [[Board of Directors]]. <ref>{{cite web | title=The sweet request that prompted the return of Tropfest |url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/the-sweet-request-that-prompted-the-return-of-tropfest-20250825-p5mpox.html |access-date=2 September 2025 |date=1 September 2025 |first=Gary |last=Maddox |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]}}</ref>

==Signature item==
Each year, Tropfest requires that entries include a particular "signature item" or action to ensure that they are unique and are made specifically for the festival. No TSI was required for the 1993 festival. The following are TSIs by year:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tropfest.com/au/tsi/|title=TSI|publisher=Tropfest|access-date=28 January 2013}}</ref>
* 2026{{snd}}Hourglass<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lights, Camera, Tropfest: The World’s Largest Short Film Festival Is Back |url=https://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney/entertainment/article/tropfest-returns-2026 |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=Broadsheet |language=en}}</ref> 
* 2019{{snd}}Candle
* 2018{{snd}}Rose
* 2017{{snd}}Pineapple 
* 2015{{snd}}Card
* 2014{{snd}}Mirror
* 2013, December{{snd}}Change
* 2013, February{{snd}}Balloon
* 2012{{snd}}Lightbulb
* 2011{{snd}}Key
* 2010{{snd}}Dice
* 2009{{snd}}Spring
* 2008{{snd}}The Number 8
* 2007{{snd}}Sneeze
* 2006{{snd}}Bubble
* 2005{{snd}}Umbrella
* 2004{{snd}}Hook
* 2003{{snd}}Rock
* 2002{{snd}}Match
* 2001{{snd}}Horn
* 2000{{snd}}Bug
* 1999{{snd}}Chopsticks
* 1998{{snd}}Kiss
* 1997{{snd}}Pickle
* 1996{{snd}}Teaspoon
* 1995{{snd}}Coffee Bean
* 1994{{snd}}Muffin
* 1993{{snd}}Not Applicable

==See also==
*[[2006 Tropfest finalists]]
*[[2007 Tropfest finalists]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.tropfest.org.au/}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/user/TROPFEST Tropfest] [[YouTube]] channel

{{Sydney events}}

[[Category:Tropfest| ]]
[[Category:Film festivals established in 1993]]
[[Category:Short film festivals in Australia]]
[[Category:1993 establishments in Australia]]