The world’s largest short film festival, Tropfest, will eventually make a comeback in 2016 thanks to CGU Insurance.
The festival’s management announced on Monday that the free event will be staged on Valentine’s Day next year, expecting a live national audience of 150,000 attendees.
Sixteen finalist films will premiere live in Sydney’s Centennial Parklands on the day and will also be broadcast free-to-air from 9.00 pm on SBS 2.
Tropfest has been providing unique platforms for talented filmmakers through its events and initiatives since it was established in 1993 by founder and festival director John Polson.
More than 1.6 million people have attended the iconic institution during these 23 years, while hundreds of thousands more watch it via the live TV broadcast.
“As a free, outdoor event, Tropfest makes short film accessible to all. There’s nothing else quite like it and I think that’s what people love,” John Polson stated, reassuring fans that Trop Jr, the festival’s competition for filmmakers aged 15 and under, will also run on Valentine’s Day.
“Thanks to the support given by CGU Insurance, we’re now able to restore Tropfest for the filmmakers whose work was put on hold, for our fans, and of course, for the suppliers and partners who all give so much to make the world’s largest short film festival a reality. It’s the comeback story of the decade.”
Ben Bessell, commercial insurance chief executive for IAG, which owns the CGU business, said that “supporting this fantastic cultural event is about creating a renewed opportunity for Tropfest and all those small businesses associated with the event to continue to thrive and get some business done”.
“It’s also about supporting the wider community, who are avid fans of film and entertainment, and giving them an opportunity to come along and enjoy a free cultural event.”
In addition to new partner CGU Insurance, Tropfest is supported by the NSW government through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW and Screen NSW, as well as returning major partners Qantas, Nikon, Centennial Parklands, SBS 2, Screen Australia and Nova 96.9.
Source: SBS, ABC
