In a surprise announcement made yesterday, Australia’s biggest short film festival Tropfest has revealed it will partner with SBS to screen the festival free-to-air across the nation.
From humble beginnings at the Darlinghurst Tropicana Café, Tropfest now attracts crowds of about 150 000 annually.
The new partnership with SBS, confirmed to air on the same night as the Festival for the first time in history, will no doubt increase audience numbers and scope exponentially
As stated in a Tropfest media release, “Now all of Australia can experience the event – and film history in the making – along with the crowd on the grass on Sunday February 17 2013, from 8:30pm AEDT.”
Tropfests’s founder and director, John Polson is delighted by the partnership. “We’re incredibly excited to be welcoming SBS into the Tropfest family,” says Polson. “With their eclectic mix of quality programs we feel it’s a great partnership with what Tropfest is all about. Over the years there have been many exceptional Tropfest finalists and winners, like Jason Gann and Paul Fenech, that have gone on to have successful series on SBS, so this is a really natural home for us.”
SBS voiced a similar excitement, with SBS Director of TV and Online content, Tony Iffland saying, “Tropfest is one of the most prestigious film events in Australia, and the world. I’m delighted to have signed this deal to bring Tropfest to SBS and to support the Australian creative filmmaking industry. With SBS’s reputation and credentials for showing the best in Australian and world film, Tropfest is the perfect fit for our audiences”.
This year, Tropfest’s 16 finalists will have their films screened on Sunday February 17 where they will be judged by a panel of celebrity and industry judges.
The winner will receive an all-new 2012 Toyota Corolla Levin ZR, a $10,000 cash bounty (courtesy of
Kennedy Miller Mitchell), and a trip to LA for the opportunity to meet with producers, studio executives and agents. Finally, they’ll also take home the latest Nikon D800 plus $2000RRP of lenses and accessories.
To find out more, visit http://www.tropfest.com.au