Hugh Jackman and Rose Byrne congratulate Josh Leake,
winner of Tropfest New York 2012. Photo:
Getty Images
The Sydney Morning Herald reports
It all began in a Sydney cafe - now Tropfest
has conquered the Big Apple.
In front of a capacity crowd of more than 10,000 people, Tropfest - the world's largest short film festival - has successfully debuted in New York.
The event was held at the city's famed Bryant Park and hosted by Australian actor Hugh Jackman on Saturday, and ended with Josh Leake being named the winner of the inaugural US Tropfest competition.
Leake from Portland, Oregon, claimed the top prize and $US20,000 ($A19,963) for his film about can collectors called Emptys, which was made for a mere $US1300.
He was presented the winner's trophy by Jackman and beat out seven other hopefuls in the competition.
An all-star panel of judges including Aussie actress Rose Byrne, Jennifer Westfeldt, Judah Friedlander, producer Ted Hope and Film Society of Lincoln Center's Scott Foundas deliberated for 15 minutes before rendering their verdict, which Jackman announced shortly before 11pm local time.
The event showcased eight Best of Tropfest films, culled from 20 years of entries from the festival's past in its native Australia. It also featured amazing musical performances by Alexi Murdoch, Doveman and Milagres, as well as DJ sets by DJ Concerned and Yah Supreme who kicked off the evening.
Tropfest was founded by Australian actor and director John Polson 20 years ago. It began with a single $100 short film and an audience of 200 people. Now the festival is attended annually by a live audience of over 150,000 film lovers and hundreds of thousands more watching via its national, live TV broadcast and other platforms.
Tropfest's global expansion has continued with the launch into the US with Tropfest Las Vegas and Tropfest New York. It has also recently started in New Zealand and Arabia, while the launch into other countries such as China and South East Asia are in the planning stages.
In front of a capacity crowd of more than 10,000 people, Tropfest - the world's largest short film festival - has successfully debuted in New York.
The event was held at the city's famed Bryant Park and hosted by Australian actor Hugh Jackman on Saturday, and ended with Josh Leake being named the winner of the inaugural US Tropfest competition.
Leake from Portland, Oregon, claimed the top prize and $US20,000 ($A19,963) for his film about can collectors called Emptys, which was made for a mere $US1300.
He was presented the winner's trophy by Jackman and beat out seven other hopefuls in the competition.
An all-star panel of judges including Aussie actress Rose Byrne, Jennifer Westfeldt, Judah Friedlander, producer Ted Hope and Film Society of Lincoln Center's Scott Foundas deliberated for 15 minutes before rendering their verdict, which Jackman announced shortly before 11pm local time.
The event showcased eight Best of Tropfest films, culled from 20 years of entries from the festival's past in its native Australia. It also featured amazing musical performances by Alexi Murdoch, Doveman and Milagres, as well as DJ sets by DJ Concerned and Yah Supreme who kicked off the evening.
Tropfest was founded by Australian actor and director John Polson 20 years ago. It began with a single $100 short film and an audience of 200 people. Now the festival is attended annually by a live audience of over 150,000 film lovers and hundreds of thousands more watching via its national, live TV broadcast and other platforms.
Tropfest's global expansion has continued with the launch into the US with Tropfest Las Vegas and Tropfest New York. It has also recently started in New Zealand and Arabia, while the launch into other countries such as China and South East Asia are in the planning stages.
No comments:
Post a Comment