His enthusiasm dovetailed with V’landys’ interest in creating a short film festival as a new crowd-pulling event for Sydney that would provide opportunities for young filmmakers,so they decided to collaborate.
The not-for-profit Tropfest Foundation,which is chaired by former TV presenter and philanthropist Sarah Murdoch and has V’landys,actor-producer Bryan Brown and Terrace Tower Group chief executive Richard Weinberg on the board,will run both the event and year-round activities to encourage emerging talent. It plans a digital skills and development program in October,two days of storytelling sessions in February,and mentorships.
A fixture on the summer events calendar before the pandemic,Tropfest is coming back in February.
Polson described it as “a year-round runway for the filmmakers … to give them 12 months of support that really gets them into the next stage of their career”.
He thought there had been a lack of opportunities for rising talents since Tropfest’s absence.
“When we wrapped it up,I didn’t know for sure if we were wrapping it up forever,I thought something would fill its place,” he said. “But nothing did fill its place,and if anything,people are more embracing of Tropfest than they were before. If you lose something,you kind of realise how valuable it was.”
V’landys became involved after learning from a young filmmaking talent there was no real way into the industry after university. He teamed up with Murdoch,whom he knew from rugby league and News Corp.
“We decided we were going to do our own short film festival then we met John and realised you don’t need to go from the start,” he said. “Tropfest was the festival.”
Other filmmakers who have launched their careers at Tropfest include Paul Fenech (FatPizza),Clayton Jacobson (Kenny),Gregor Jordan (Two Hands),Emma Freeman (Stateless,The Newsreader),Damon Gameau(Future Council),Abe Forsythe (Wolf Like Me) and Alethea Jones (Peacemaker).
A night that always had a relaxed democratic charm has featured some high-profile judges,including Miller,Susan Sarandon,Mel Gibson,Cate Blanchett,Samuel L. Jackson,Nicole Kidman,Catherine Martin and Russell Crowe.
After Polson approached the owners of Darlinghurst’s Tropicana Caffe about screening a short film he had made,Tropfest expanded from a 1993 festival in Victoria Street to Rushcutters Bay,The Domain,Centennial Park,and then,in a three-year deal,Parramatta Park.
It expanded internationally,with festivals held at different times in New York,Europe,Middle East,Asia and New Zealand.
Jury head Susan Sarandon with John Poulson at Tropfest in 2018.
While Polson considered the move to Parramatta a success,he thought the return to Centennial Park would take the festival back to its roots. He hoped a partnership with YouTube would lead to simultaneous live events in Parramatta,Melbourne,Brisbane,Perth,and other cities.
As well as backing from the NSW government,YouTube and Greater Sydney Parklands,the corporate support for Tropfest includes the Commonwealth Bank,Qantas,and Nine Entertainment (publisher of this masthead).
Keanu Reeves and Carrie Ann Moss at Tropfest in 2005.Credit:Tropfest
Entries open on December 1,with the traditional “signature item”,which ensures films have been made specifically for Tropfest,an hourglass.
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Instead of taking place before the main event,the Trop Jr competition for filmmakers under 15 will sync with the school year.
Polson is confident that at least 60,000 people will watch the films in the park.
“Only Australians can be in competition,but any filmmaker globally can enter,” he said. “We’ll fly them in,and they’ll play out of competition in the same screening.”
Tropfest has proven remarkably resilient over the years.
In 2015,it collapsed when the company licensed to run it revealed what Polson called “a terrible and irresponsible mismanagement” of funds,then came back to life when an insurance company emerged as an angel sponsor.
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