Tropfest SEA ’15
The world’s largest short film festival is back for its second instalment to showcase the best of the region’s selection of seven-minute shorts. Tropfest originated in Australia where it began as a simple film screening for friends and crew members of founder and award-winning director John Polson, but due to the high turnout, it transformed into a proper short film fest. Tropfest has since become a platform for everyone: Directors and actors of disparate backgrounds and expertise, as well as for us who appreciate and advocate regional burgeoning talents. Every Tropfest short film has to feature a specific item, dubbed the ‘Tropfest Signature Item’ (TSI) — it was rice for 2014 and the wheel is the artefact of interest for 2015’s entries. The shortlisted finalists will be revealed on Thursday 8 January ’15 and will then have their respective films screened live and judged on the festival day itself to an international panel of revered directors.
Tropfest SEA is a sprawling event and therefore it has its official film forum called Roughcut where audience members will have the opportunity to sit in on the discussion which includes casual dialogues, keynote speeches, and Q&A sessions with heavy hitters of the industry. Among the venerable list of speakers are famed cinematographer Christopher Doyle and regional industry power players such as Mike Ellis and Ms. Teng Lee Yein, emerging directors Hannah Espia and Lucky Kuswandi will also make an appearance. Tickets for Roughcut will be released at the end of this month.
In addition to short films, there will be entertainment on the music front as well, just like how the past year saw Paperplane Pursuit and White Shoes & The Couples Company. Honouring the short form film in such a grand manner, it would be a shame if you don’t partake in the celebration.
Tropfest SEA 2015
Date Sunday 1 February ’15
Venue The Esplanade, Penang
Cover Free
Tropfest SEA 2015 Roughcut
Date Saturday 31 January ’15
Venue Pinang Ballroom, Hotel Jen
Cover RM60 (Standard), RM40 (Student)
More information on the festival here.