Sim1Tropfest Wank
February 22nd 2007 06:47
Beer with Civility
People are always stopping me in the street and asking me why I bag Tropfest so much. I’ll tell you what I tell them.
There are two reasons.
One; it sends the wrong message to aspiring film-makers. It says; if you want to make it in the Australian film industry you have to win a short film competition. Which is crap.
Film-making is old-school. It’s about solid ideas and hard work.
If you make ten feature films in your lifetime you will have achieved what most cry-baby film-makers never get even close to. Winning a sooky short film festival means nothing other than you exposed yourself to a gaggle of chardy-sipping movie buffs sitting on picnic blankets and impressed a few has-been judges and industry celebs. Hip, hip. You can’t take a picnic blanket into a cinema and anyone with any credibility wouldn’t have the time or arrogance to be a judge. Well… maybe the arrogance.
Two; who the hell are the organisers anyway? Would anyone associated with Tropfest have any insight into relevant film-making? The Tropfest organisation now creates feature films based on $1 million budgets. One effort earned $125,000 at the box office (remember you can’t take picnic blankets in). What kind of industry not associated with the occupation of foreign countries would see that as positive? None. You can’t swap the chardy lifestyle with old-school. The same rules apply now that have always applied;
Film-making is about entertainment. Make the films you like to watch and show them to an audience you understand.
Festivals invariably start out life piggy-backing the careers of those involved. Tropfest on the commercial side, MUFF on the underground and in theatre, Short and Sweet are but a few examples. I’ve witnessed how nepotism is sold as a love of the arts – getting sucked in only ends in tears for anyone with a genuine love of the arts.
I have seen genuine people at work – the ABC’s crew from Australian Story. Duke and me were interviewed by them for a project that fell thought, under funded and worked hard I was amazed at their dedication. It’s not about fame and fortune theses guys create something they really believe in. No starry-eyed cry-babies on that gig.
Until next time and happy film-making.
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