:: Spotlight :: Sony Tropfest 2006By: Carmine PascuzziBubbling over with anticipation, audiences won't want to miss Australia's most effervescent short film festival, Sony Tropfest. On Sunday, February 26, 2006 all eyes will be fixed on 16 standout finalist short films to be screened at the world's largest short film festival. Whatever your flavour of film - action, comedy, romance or drama - no summer diary is complete without Sony Tropfest. The event was launched recently at the Tropicana Cafe with guests, celebrities, sponsors and members of the Australian film and television industries. Sony Tropfest Creative Director/Founder, John Polson returned to Australia from New York to celebrate the launch of Sony Tropfest 2006. Also in attendance was the Sony Tropfest winner for 2005, Luke Eve. Guests were treated to the premiere screening of the Sony Tropfest 2006 festival trailer, directed by Eve using Sony High Definition technology. Cast members include well-known Australian actors Vince Colosimo, Pia Miranda, Maria Venuti, Gabriel Carr, Tiriel Mora and Arky Michael (winner of Best Actor at Sony Tropfest 2005!). The event also announced Sony Tropfest's new initiatives for the 2006 festival season, including the exciting new feature film production arm, the Tropfest Feature Program (TFP), fully funded by Movie Network channels. Filmmakers have just under two months to submit their masterpieces before the January 19, 2006 deadline. All short films submitted must be no longer than seven minutes in length and must include the Tropfest Signature Item (TSI), to show the film was made specifically for Sony Tropfest 2006. The TSI for 2006 is "Bubble". Bringing together friends, family and film fans alike, Sony Tropfest 2006 promises to be one of the biggest Australian cultural events of the summer with a full day of outdoor entertainment featuring live acts and a panel of celebrity judges, building up to the much anticipated awards ceremony. For more information visit the Sony Tropfest website **TROPFEST GOES INTERNATIONAL WITH MAJOR PARTNERSHIP** It was announced that Tropfest will premiere on an international stage for the first time at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Tropfest founder John Polson and Tribeca Film Festival founders Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff announced from New York the creation of a new Tribeca Film Festival program, Tropfest@Tribeca. The partnership has been formed in recognition of the critical role that short films have played in the broader filmmaking world as well as to provide an audience for the work of emerging filmmakers. “Like the Tribeca Film Festival, John Polson's Tropfest has created a distinctive cultural event. We look forward to offering this unique experience to our community,” said Robert De Niro, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. John Polson will serve as the Creative Director of Tropfest@Tribeca. He said of the announcement: “I am very excited to partner with Tribeca to create Tropfest@Tribeca. I never expected that showing one of my short films for friends and family fourteen years ago at the Tropicana Caffé in Sydney would lead to the creation of a short film festival that attracts over 150,000 people on a single night in Australia. The Tribeca Film Festival has become a landmark event for filmmakers, and I know that bringing Tropfest to Tribeca will provide significant opportunities to a new generation of short filmmakers around the world.” Tropfest@Tribeca will screen 16 short films - eight films made specifically for the new festival, and eight “Best Of Sony Tropfest” - previously screened in Australia. Following the traditional guidelines of Sony Tropfest, all short films submitted to Tropfest@Tribeca must be no longer than seven minutes in length and must include the Tropfest Signature Item (TSI), to show the film was made specifically for the festival. The TSI for Tropfest@Tribeca 2006 is “Manhole Cover”! (The Australian TSI for 2006 is “Bubble”.) For entry details visit Tribeca The 2006 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express, will take place from April 25 - May 7, 2006. The 2006 Festival will feature screenings, special events, concerts, a family street fair, and panel discussions with noted filmmakers. ********************************************************** Sony Tropfest has attracted 710 entries this year, one of the highest number of entries received in the festival's 14-year history. NSW drew 58% of total entries received, wth Victoria next on 20%. DVD entries rose by 20% with 89% of all entries received in the DVD format. Female directors rose to just over 20% of total entrants, giving 152 women the chance to win the new female focussed award category at the ceremony, the inaugural Cointreau Women in Film Award. This lucky recipient of the award will receive $5,000 to assist in furthering their development within the industry. The youngest entrant is just 8 years of age. The oldest is a 74- year-old director/producer. Sony Tropfest will be held on Sunday, February 26 at The Domain in Sydney, with concurrent events held at the Alexandra Gardens in Melbourne, Machine Laundry Café in Salamanca Square in Hobart, Suncorp Piazza in Brisbane and Princess May Park in Fremantle. ********************************************************************* On Sunday February 26, all eyes will be fixed on 16 of Australia's most talented filmmakers whose films have been selected to headline at this, one of the world's largest short film festival. John Polson, Creative Director/Founder of Sony Tropfest, admits selecting the finalist films is always a difficult task: The winner of the festival receives The Qantas Scholarship Program, comprising a trip to LA and scheduled meetings with Hollywood executives and key international industry. Sony Australia will be offering the winner an amazing prize pack, including a HDV 1080i HANDYCAM and other accessories valued at over $3500. In addition, the inaugural Cointreau Women in Film Award has been developed by Cointreau in conjunction with Sony Tropfest, and aims to encourage and support Australia's emerging female filmmaking talent. The recipient of the award will receive $5,000 in financial support to assist in furthering their development within the industry. The winner will be selected from the Sony Tropfest 2006 finalist and shortlisted entries for excellence in cinematography, editing, writing, directing, composing or producing by an industry-recognised panel of judges and presented at the festival. Finalist films also go into the running to screen internationally at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, subsequent to the announcement by John Polson and the Tribeca Film Festival of the creation of a new Tribeca Film Festival program, Tropfest@Tribeca. The Tropfest Signature Item (TSI) for 2006 is ‘Bubble’ which has to be included in each film to show it has been made specifically for Sony Tropfest. Sony Tropfest is proud to reveal the 16 finalists for the 2006 festival. Title: A Room With Askew Title: Last Stop
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