There was a lot of love in the field for CGU Insurance at last night’s TROPFEST 2016. Originally a group of friends and family brought together by founder, John Polson at the Tropicana restaurant in Darlinghurst, TROPFEST has grown to be an icon of Australian culture and a major catch-up with friends and family each February.

Polsen acknowledged the ongoing funding issue and Ben Bessel Commercial Insurance Chief Executive for IAG, which owns the CGU business, explained about the many small businesses that have grown with and rely on TROPFEST which would have suffered also if the event did not go ahead.

And go ahead it did.

16 films on offer all incorporating the key element, this year: ‘Cards’. The hosts Marc Fennell, Adam Spencer and Jan Francis were cleverly on a cardboard set. This construction stood up well to the brief but violent electrical storm which hit at Interval and threatened to clear the place. But when a geek with the prestige of Spenser says it will blow over, most people believe and they stayed.

It was a bit of a hard ask to settle the crowd then but one of my favourite offerings was up first after Interval. STELLA : Kiah Roach Turner (Director), Cain Thompson (Producer), a single tracking shot set in a pub … bar and urinal … was funny and clever.

The next film was when the silence really hit. Literally. ANGIE : Hugh Clark (Director + Producer) concerns deaf artist Stefan Kater as he mentors a fellow deaf creative, Angie Goto,  to help her face her fears and exhibit her stunning, colourful work for the first time. When the screen went silent so did the crowd and the filmmaker’s point was well made.

Even from these two juxtaposed films it can be seen that techniques, genres and themes of TROPFEST were diverse. There was considerable variety in the docos and faux docos, drama and comedy and animation and horror. With one glaring omission. Gender. As with TROPJR in the morning, women were grossly underrepresented. In the young people’s event, only 2 female directors and in the main stage event only one.

Angela McCormack’s film TAYMAN :Jessica Campbell (Producer), Joel Perlgut (Producer) concerned a group of 3 men who support each other through life’s ups and downs together with their obsession with Taylor Swift. It’s overtly comic yet sweet with a pathos and a wry way of dealing with coming out.

Moving to the Panel’s choices.  The prestigious judging panel comprised Academy Award winner Mel Gibson and fellow Australian actors Simon Baker and Rebecca Gibney, cinematographer Don McAlpine (Moulin Rouge), and director Jocelyn Moorehouse (The Dressmaker).

The Panel had to choose from 16 finalists, 13 films from NSW, 1 each from Victoria and South Australia and one US offering.

The Panel’s third choice was ATM: Rick Donald (Director + Producer). This was a tilted mysterious morality-ridden situation comedy and was hilarious and high up on my list too. It also garnered the Best Male Actor Award for Rick Donald. Best Actress went to Natalie Bassingthwaighte for her performance in the brooding, bass rumbly, dark mystery WHY WOULD I LIE?: Lincoln Hall (Director + Producer).

POSTCARDS TO ULAY was the second choice of the prestigious judging panel. Very gentle and very, very sad was my favourite film of the night, an animated short called POSTCARDS TO ULAY : Tristen Klein (Director + Producer), Nick Baker (Director + Producer).

A traditional animation, the images were skew-whiff and angular and the colours! Washed backgrounds and strong blocks like his purple hat and green coat in blurred, soft edged puce and cerise room. And don’t get started on the ending. I cried. Seven minutes from laughter to tears … my personal best.

The California entry, SHINY: Daniel Cloud Campos (Director + Producer), Spencer Susser (Director + Producer) was the winner of TROPFEST 2016 and it was simply mesmerising.

A stop motion confection of clothes, shoes and hats with no bodies inside and on a flat surface, it is just charming with a conflicted main character in a shiny suit and a straw boater. There is a fart, spectacular vomiting and an invisible sex scene. Got to love that. Plus it is technically brilliant and emotionally engaging.

TROPFEST does not lack for supporters in the crowd with over 100,000 attending the Festival and its financial situation might benefit from that as there is a Pozible campaign where you can donate. But well done to the good corporate citizens who keep this exciting and necessary event coming to us each year. More can be found on their website at http://tropfest.com/au/our-partners/

The  Tropfest’s People Choice Award will be announced on Monday 22nd February. All that people had to do to vote was to download the app called Tropfest- You Be The Judge. I have  put my votes in and am looking forward to finding  out the result next Monday.