Tropfest NY

SHORT FILM MADE ON CELL PHONE WINS TOP $20,000 PRIZE AT TROPFEST NY

MOORE, CRUDUP JOIN THOUSANDS AT WORLD’S LARGEST
SHORT FILM FEST

New York, NY (September 29, 2008) – Jason van Genderen’s Mankind Is No Island – a 3 ½ minute film that was shot entirely on a cell phone – took home the top $20,000 prize last night at Tropfest NY, the world’s largest short film festival.

Thousands of New Yorkers turned out for the free, outdoor event to see the world premieres of eight short films.  The films, which can now be viewed online at www.youtube.com/tropfest, were selected from more than 100 submissions from around the world. They spanned the spectrum from comedy to drama, and all include this year's Tropfest Signature Item (TSI) – "sunflower." 

A panel of luminaries, including Julianne Moore, Billy Crudup, bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell (The Tipping Point, Blink), actress Radha Mitchell (High Art), directors James Gray (The Yards) and Nash Edgerton (The Square) and producers Christine Vachon (Far From Heaven) and Bruna Papandrea (MILK) selected the night’s best film live in front of the massive crowd - as well as the Best Actor and Actress prizes, which were sponsored by Nicole Kidman.

In addition to receiving a $20,000 cash prize, sponsored by Citi, van Genderen will receive a First Look Feature Film Deal from GreeneStreet Films, one of New York's leading production and financing companies, and two round-trip tickets to Australia, courtesy of Qantas Airlines. Mankind Is No Island uses found signage on the streets of New York and Sydney to tell a touching story from the very heart of two cities and was shot entirely on a cell phone. The entire budget for the film was $57.

“We are thrilled about the turnout and the crowd’s response to this year’s films”, said Tropfest founder and director John Polson (Hide and Seek, Swimfan). “Jason’s film really exemplifies what Tropfest is all about – original, unforgettable storytelling.”

2nd Place was awarded to "It All Starts With The Shoes" by Ben Pietor. 3rd Place was won by "The Wildflower" by Charles Divak. The top acting prizes were awarded to Barbara Singer for the film Mrs. Jones and Jonathan Harford for TheWildflower. The crowd also picked Mankind Is No Island as its favorite film, via an SMS vote at the end of the screenings.

Tropfest originated at the well-known Tropicana Café in Sydney in 1993. Over the past fifteen years, it has evolved into the “Olympics of Short Film” and into an Australian cultural phenomenon with the festival screening live via satellite to over 150,000 people in eight cities across the continent.

Tropfest NY’s sponsors include: Brookfield Properties, Qantas, Macquarie, Deloitte, Citi, Daily News, YouTube and NYmag.com.

FINALISTS

"Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks" 
Director: Ian Gamester – Lancashire, United Kingdom

 

“It All Starts With The Shoes” 
Director: Ben Pietor - New York, USA

 

"The Wildflower" 
Director: Charles Divak - New York, USA

 

“I’ll Follow The Sun”
Directors: Ben Thompson and Emily Marcuson London, United Kingdom

 

“Mrs. Jones” 
Director: Jonathan Emmerling - Brooklyn, New York

 

“Sunnyside Down” 
Director: Kathleen Johnsen -Bergen, Norway

 

“Gentle Persuasion” 
Director: Burleigh Smith - Perth, Western Australia

 

“Mankind Is No Island” 
Director: Jason Van Genderson - NSW, Australia

Tropfest 2009

Tropfest NY 2009 dates will be announced very soon. The Tropfest Signature Item (TSI) is "Balloon" (required in each film). Films must be less than 7 minutes and must premiere at Tropfest NY. Entry forms and terms and conditions will be available on this website in the coming weeks.

 

Selected images of Tropfest NY can be found at: http://picasaweb.google.com/tropfestny/TropfestNY2008

For more information on Tropfest NY, please contact us via info@tropfestny.com or (212) 219 1699

If you're interested in becoming involved with Tropfest NY, or viewing our sponsorship packages, please email our General Manager for details.

Check out www.tropfest.com home of all things Trop!

www.youtube.com/tropfest
www.myspace.com/tropfestNY
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11056942529

 

For media inquiries or to request press credentials, contact:
Gita Chandra at gita@pkpr.com (212) 627 8098