Tropfest March 28, 2013

Istanbul Modern is hosting Tropfest, one of the most prestigious and largest short film festivals in the world.

Twenty years on, Tropfest Australia attracts a live national audience of more than 150,000 people on a single night. The annual short film competition is open to anyone who wishes to enter – regardless of their background or experience. 16 Finalists are selected from an entry pool of an average 700 annual entries and compete for more than $100,000 in prizes. The support and involvement of film personalities from around the world has become one of the trademarks of the festival. Selection of the winning Tropfest film takes place live on the night of the festival by a panel of high profile industry and celebrity judges. Past judges have included Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, Naomi Watts, Toni Collette, Rose Byrne, Geoffrey Rush, Russell Crowe, John Woo, Samuel L Jackson, Baz Luhrmann, Keanu Reeves, Sam Neill, Ewan McGregor, Jane Campion, Salma Hayek, George Miller and Gabriel Byrne to name a few.

At home, Tropfest is recognised for its enormous contribution to the development of the Australian film industry by providing unique platforms for emerging filmmakers through its events and initiatives, and new and expanded audiences for their work.

After being screened in Abu Dabi, London, Berlin, Toronto, Bangkok and New York, Tropfest is coming to Turkey for the first time.The films screened at Istanbul Modern will be followed by a Q&A session with Tropfest Managing Director, Michael Laverty, and the Tropfest Winners of 2013 and 2012, Nick Clifford and Alethea Jones.