Tropfest Set To Be A Top-Fest

A FREE day of independent film, music, comedy AND BYO booze? Yes please. The 26th annual Tropfest is here and here’s why you should go!

An exciting new venue has been announced to host this year’s multifaceted short film festival in Sydney, meaning attendees have more than the big screen and BYO booze to look forward to. The Crescent at the iconic Parramatta Park will be the venue where the picnicking, finger-licking and beer sipping will be taking place, and you better not miss it!

An extraordinary panel of industry leading individuals will make up the jury of this year’s Tropfest film selection, as the short-film festival announced Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon, Emmy-nominated Garth Davis (Lion), Aussie documentarian Jennifer Peedom (Mountain) and Logie award-winning actor Rob Collins (Cleverman) on the judging panel. There will be no shortage of expertise on the board, yet I’m sure it’ll be tough to pick a winner out of the qualified finalists.

The high prestige of the judges is equally matched with the hosts, as ABC golden girl Zan Rowe (Double J) and comedian Susie Youssef (The Chaser’s Media Circus) will be bossing the stage at the event. The entertainment on the day isn’t only made up of high quality independent short films, live music commences from 4pm. Fifteen-piece orchestra, Cumbiamuffin will be crowd-pleasing with their latin-laden rhythms, and rising R&B star Thandi Phoenix will be booming out her powerful vocals.

As for the films, Tropfest Jr will commence the big screen, featuring films produced by Australians 15 years or under. This is a true testament to the most creative youngsters around Australia, and definitely not to be underestimated. If you wanna say you were there for the debut screening of the next Spielberg’s first film, get there early and guarantee yourself a good patch of grass.

Thandi Phoenix, Image credit: the AU review

If live music isn’t your thing, maybe funny-guy Tim Minchin will tickle your fancy. The Australian-British comedian has performed on stages all around the globe, and now he’s set to make a hilarious guest appearance late in the night at Tropfest this coming Saturday.

If you aren’t feeling picnicky, there is also a fully kitted food village boasting some delicious eats. This should be enough to peak your interest, however if you need even more incentive, Tropfest is a Not-for-profit organisation with an aim to encourage emerging talent to participate in the film industry. 

For a quick glimpse of the hilarity you can expect on the night, check out the trailer of last year’s winner. An impressive, blunt and brutal black comedy the mother situation.

Don’t miss Australia’s best night out. To make sure you’re well equipped on the day, Tropfest has outlined what you need to optimise your experience here.

If you want to guarantee the best seat in the house and take full advantage of the night of entertainment pay for tickets here.

See you there on Sydney’s short film night of nights!