[press release from Spin PR]
Filmmakers across Australia will be rolling out their video cameras with the Movie Extra Tropfest 2009 official call for entries launching today.
The 2009 Tropfest Signature Item is Spring – apt as the festival, to be held on Sunday 22 February 2009, has been the spring board for launching many an aspiring Aussie filmmaker’s career.
As 2009 promises to deliver an even bigger and better experience for filmmakers, Aussie ‘Spielbergs’ are being urged to get in quick and visit the new look Tropfest website www.tropfest.com for entry details before the Thursday 8 January 2009 deadline.
Announced earlier this year, Tropfest’s partnership with Movie Extra, part of the Movie Network Channels, will offer filmmakers an even larger audience base to exhibit their work.
In addition to the anticipated live audience of over 150,000 people on the festival night, 2009 marks first live and national TV broadcast of the festival, via the Movie Extra channel, bringing the filmmaker’s films and the atmosphere of the festival direct to homes, bars and clubs across the nation, reaching a potential audience of over one million Foxtel and Austar subscribers.
“Through Movie Extra, new filmmakers have the potential to reach an even greater audience than ever before – the chance to have their film screened nationally across Tropfest’s national and regional screening sites and through Movie Extra network’s substantial reach is an extraordinary opportunity. We’re anticipating a big response to this year’s call out as a result,” said John Polson Founder and Director of Tropfest.
Additionally, Tropfest’s unparalleled prizes continue to tempt aspiring filmmakers. Included in the $100,000 total pool, the first prize winner will receive the Qantas Scholarship which includes a trip for two to the USA, six nights accommodation and a tailored program of meetings with agents, executives and industry.
The Qantas Scholarship Program has been credited with spring-boarding Tropfest alumni such as Gary Eck, Luke Eve, Tim Bullock, and Steve Baker into successful careers and more recently, directing duo Rob Carlton and Alex Weinress with their comedy-drama TV series, Chandon Pictures.
Several exciting Tropfest filmmaker initiatives will also be launching this year including a new national Filmmaker Information Tour involving past Tropfest alumni where aspiring filmmakers are given the opportunity to ask questions and find out more about entering the festival along with Trop Tips – top tips from industry experts, which will be posted monthly on the Tropfest website (www.tropfest.com) providing advice and encouragement to new filmmakers.
“The new Tropfest initiatives launching this year continue to cement Tropfest’s role in guiding aspiring filmmakers to take up their cameras and join the filmmaking profession and we envisage they will be widely embraced not just by emerging filmmakers, but also the broader filmmaking community whose support and involvement we are indebted to,” continued John Polson.
With such a compelling festival and prize line-up for 2009, and with the 8 January 2009 Tropfest submission deadline just 12 weeks away, filmmakers are being encouraged to start the creative process now.
“The standard and quality of the films we’ve received over the past few years has been nothing short of amazing and is a real testament to the latent creative talent in Australia today. However these films won’t write, direct or produce themselves and we’re urging filmmakers to get a move on now if they want to be part of this incredible festival and filmmaking experience,” said John Polson.