Hey New Yorkers!
We couldn’t be more excited to be bringing Tropfest, the world’s largest short film festival, to arguably the greatest city on earth! Given the abundance of creative talent in New York, I can’t think of a better place to expand the Tropfest phenomenon than to the heart of the Big Apple. So get ready NYC, Tropfest is coming to BRYANT PARK on June 23, 2012! And you’re invited…
Since it began in Sydney, Australia in the early 90s, Tropfest has become a global sensation. The first screening of my own (rather average!) short film was attended by 200 people at a small Sydney café called The Tropicana (hence our name).
Today, more than 100,000 independent film-lovers attend our main screening, and thousands more view it live via satellite at numerous venues across Australia and New Zealand, making up a total audience of more than 150,000 independent film-lovers.
After dabbling in this city once or twice with smaller screenings, the much-loved Tropfest format is STORMING New York in June of 2012, and we’re inviting filmmakers of all backgrounds and levels of experience to get out there and start making short films. Anyone can enter, from anywhere in the world, and films can be about anything but must include the annual Tropfest Signature Item (TSI), which for 2012 is ‘BAGEL’. (Filmmakers are encourage to utilize the TSI in any way they see fit – in as small, subtle way as they like. The TSI is just meant to show us your film really was produced for Tropfest NY….)
Tropfest was established to encourage production, not just exhibition. Our event is not just about ‘showing’ films – it’s about ‘making’ them. We aim to provide you with the opportunity to showcase your talent to as wide an audience as possible, not only with the exciting premiere your film will receive if selected for Tropfest New York 2012, but also by utilizing a variety of distribution outlets following the festival, including via our partner Starz Cinema who will be screening many of our finalists and winners as part of a special one-hour program they’re producing for Tropfest NY which be broadcast nationally. This ALONG WITH our first prize of $20,000 and other prizes… (The words ‘Ka-CHING!’ spring to mind…)
Looking for something to do for Spring Break anyone….?
Many of Tropfest’s winners and finalists go on to have esteemed careers in the film industry as a direct result of their inclusion in our festival. Some of today’s big names, including Sam Worthington (Avatar, Man On A Ledge) and Joel Edgerton (Warrior, Animal Kingdom), as well as the FX hit series “Wilfred,” got enormous boosts at critical moments from their participation in Tropfest Australia.
Our official US Ambassador list reads like a ‘who’s who’ of the international film community, including: Nicole Kidman, Geoffrey Rush, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Charles Randolph and Anthony Lapaglia.
In fact, Hugh Jackman recently said of Tropfest USA:
“Over the past 20 years, Tropfest has been an incredible platform for rising Australian filmmakers to get their start in the industry. I’m excited to support this competition as it comes to the US. There is no other springboard in the world that showcases short films in front of such a massive audience and I look forward to seeing the shorts for Tropfest New York.”
Can you imagine Hugh Jackman and some of our other Ambassadors sitting down to watch YOUR short film in front of a capacity crowd at Bryant Park?!
For quotes from some of our other Ambassadors, please click here
On a personal level, I’m incredibly excited to be bringing Tropfest to New York – I can’t wait to see the exceptional creative talent and passion of the filmmakers, writers, actors, directors and filmgoers of this great city coming together for a night under the stars.
Our thanks also go to our wonderful – and growing – list of partners, including Starz Cinema, WNBC, WNYC and others being announced in the coming days and weeks…
Please check out the website for details of the events, past finalists, how to enter, film guidelines and also to get some great filmmaking resources.
Drop us a line if you’ve got any questions at nyinfo@tropfest.com and we’ll see you on the big night!
John Polson
Tropfest Founder/Director
