That’s right, Tropfest is moving to December 8, 2013.

We have also made the huge decision to move away from the Domain, Sydney. To accomodate our ever-expanding audiences, Sydney’s spectacular Centennial Park will become Trop Jr’s new home.

Festival Director John Polson said he is excited about the changes, but will miss the Domain: “We’ve been extremely privileged,” Polson said. “The Domain is now an important part of our history, having been our home since 1999. However, with our steadily growing audience, Centennial Parklands is really the only Sydney venue that offers us the space we now need. This will be an exciting new chapter for us.”

NEXT TROP JR: December 8, 2013

NEXT TSI: CHANGE

Ben McCarthy

One of the youngest of 16 finalists, 12 year old Ben is passionate about filmmaking, and spent most of the day grilling Sam Worthington about Hollywood and how to make it in the film industry. Inspired by last year’s Trop Jr runner up the I Think You Stink Show, McCarthy’s Bumper is the only Claymation entry to make it to the finals this year at Trop Jr.

McCarthy says the film took him six months, which included making the figures entirely on his desk at home and creating a really huge mess. He has aptly named his future production company “Messy Desk Productions”. His inspiration to work with Claymation came from the creator of Wallace and Gromit, Nick Park.

Watch Bumper here! 

The Trop Jr Signature Item for 2014 was also announced: next year it will be “Monster”, which should inspire some fun ideas from budding young filmmakers.Trop Jr follows the same structure as Tropfest: the film must be seven minutes or less and contain a reference to the TSI.

This year’s Trop Jr winner was awarded $2000 cash and a $500 ticket voucher, $1800 worth of AFTRS Open short courses and a PlayStationVita LittleBigPlanet bundle. McCarthy can’t wait to tell all his friends at boarding school about it!

‘The Screen Seekers Club’ was awarded the runner-up prize for their horror-comedy-mockumentary How to Make a Horror Movie. The club, made up of six boys aged 12-15 from South Australia didn’t even know each other until their parents brought them together to collaborate on this project. They cite Scream and Chuckie as their favourite slasher films.

Watch How to Make a Horror Movie here.

Harri Gilbert (NSW) also picked up a runner-up prize for Where’s My Sandwich? The 15 year old won the Trop Jr Fearless Filmmaking prize last year and loves telling stories and making films. His film explored the trials and tribulations of a teenager who has lost his sandwich.

Watch ‘Where’s My Sandwich?’ here.

The runner-up winners took away prizes of $750 worth of short courses at Metro Screen.

Trop Jr was judged by actor Sean Keenan, author and presenter Gretel Killeen, actress Samara Weaving and children’s entertainer Sam Moran.

Tropfest managing director Michael Laverty was delighted by this year’s Trop Jr selection. “I’m always so excited to see the finalist entries for Trop Jr,” he said. “Their incredible talent and creativity is a great sign for the future of film in Australia.”

The young audience and their families enjoyed a day of entertainment in the sunshine with Australia’s Got Talent dance wonders Ziggity Crew breaking loose on the stage and host Ash London keeping things moving.

If you’re in Sydney this weekend, join us from 11am on Sunday at the Domain for Trop Jr 2013.

The day begins with you guys! Trop Jr, the short film competition for little people (with big ideas) hosted by someone you’ll all know, Ash London, presenter of eleven’s music show The Loop.

There will be some awesome entertainment by dance troupe Zigitty Crew before you watch the films, and the winners will be announced afterwards at around 2pm.

The winner of Trop Jr gets $2000 cash and a $500 ticket voucher from Arts Centre Melbourne, $1800 worth of AFTRS Open short courses and a PlayStationVita LittleBigPlanet bundle. Our two runner-ups also score some cool prizes.

We’ve been bursting with excitement to tell you who our celebrity judges for Trop Jr 2013 are!
Drumroll please …

-Author and presenter Gretel Killeen
-Actor Sean Keenan (AKA Lockie Leonard!)
-Performer Sam Moran; a singer, a Wiggle, and an all-round entertainer!
-Actress Samara Weaving known as loveable Indigo Walker on Home and Away.

Gear up for a day full of fun, entertainment and of course films!

See you all this Sunday!

Entrants must be under 15, but otherwise the rules are the same as Tropfest: the film must be seven minutes or less, there’s a signature item and the film must be made specifically for the competition. 2013’s signature item is “JUMP”.  Finalists will have their films screened live to crowds at The Domain, Sydney on Sunday 17^th February 2013 and at other venues across Australia.

This year’s finalists come from all different backgrounds, including two home-schooled boys Keshava Head and Sanjaya Gibbons. Finalists also include veteran entrants, like Maya Sandor who entered Trop Jr for the fifth time this year with her film ‘Bob’.

And if you’re thinking that Trop Jr is just for kids, you might want to take a look at some of Calum Peiris’ (‘Operation Retro’) influences, including Alfred Hitchcock, Christopher Nolan, Akira Kurosawa and James Stewart. Or perhaps the filmmakers behind ‘Aussie Kids at Christmas’, Max Newton, Kurt Montana-Borg and Paul Burns who enjoy Dirty Harry, Eraserhead, Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie between them.

Some of this year’s Trop Jr films tackle The Big Questions, such as Peter Hoskins’ film ‘Needs and Wants’, which explores existentialism and the needs and wants of individuals, or the huge team behind ‘Rubies are Red’ who ask “How does our name determine our destiny?”

Tropfest’s Managing Director Michael Laverty says “Each year, we receive an incredible amount of films made by some seriously talented young storytellers and this year is no different. I’m sure that in a few years we’ll see some of these filmmakers walking the same red carpet as the Tropfest finalists!”

The lucky winner will receive $2,000 cash and a $500 voucher courtesy of the Arts Centre Melbourne and $1,800 worth of courses Australian Film Television and Radio School. Two runners up will also nab $750 worth of courses thanks to Metro Screen.

The musical friend of Trop Jr, Tropscore Jr has also narrowed down six strong finalists, whose film scores, if anything like their credentials, should be extremely impressive.

Edward Johnston, otherwise known as Lontalius, has already at the age of 15 supported Liam Finn, Die!Die!Die! and Artisan Guns on stage in New Zealand and released his own EP on lathe cut vinyl, while Jack L Stacey, also 15, has already picked up awards from the Australian Children’s Music Foundation (ACMF) Song Writing competition on multiple occasions, having played the piano since he was two (and meeting David Helfgott when he was eight).  Jackson Hurwood had his song ‘My Mate’s In Love’ shot as a music video by ACMF, and 13 year old Jordan Lewis has already composed for his school choir and an e-book.

It seems like Trop Jr and Tropscore Jr just have to be seen (and heard) to be believed. Young talent comes compacted and condensed: it’s volatile and ready to explode with creativity at any moment.

To read more about the films, click here

Click here for the full media release

DIRECTOR: MAYA SANDOR
PRODUCER: MAYA SANDOR
STATE: NSW

SYNOPSIS: Bob was a lonely button till he went on an adventure.

DIRECTOR: Isabelle Lees
PRODUCER: Isabelle Lees
STATE: NSW

SYNOPSIS: A story about a girl, finding where she fits in and who she is through a journey in a countryside farm.

DIRECTOR: Leing Repuana
PRODUCER: Leing Repuana
STATE: WA

SYNOPSIS: A girl who faces problems searching for her identity.

DIRECTOR: Matthew Robertson
PRODUCER: Screen Seekers Club
STATE: SA

SYNOPSIS: How Scary Can a Horror Movie actually be? It is as scary as you make it!

DIRECTOR: Harri Gilbert
PRODUCER: Harri Gilbert
STATE: NSW

SYNOPSIS: Don’t lose a sandwich in a bottomless suitcase.

DIRECTOR: Peter Hoskins
PRODUCER: Peter Hoskins
STATE: NSW

SYNOPSIS: Steve is a young teenager who, like many others, is unsure what lies ahead in life. After his parents have a fight Steve runs away on an adventure that teaches him some important lessons in life.