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Animal Beatbox wins Tropfest 2011

Animal Beatbox by Underbelly and Balibo actor Damon Gameau last night won the 19th Tropfest battle.

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Animal Beatbox by Underbelly and Balibo actor Damon Gameau last night won the 19th Tropfest battle in front of crowds of 150,000 nationwide.

The event was broadcast live on Movie Extra, hosted by Adam Spencer and Julia Zemiro.

Judges for the night included Bruce Beresford, Olivia Newtown-John, Jack Thompson, Twilight’s Xavier Samuel, Stephan Elliott, producer Liz Watts, last year’s Tropfest winner Abe Forsythe and Tropfest Founder John Polson.

Surprise judge Joseph Fiennes also weighed in live from Majorca Spain before casting his vote online.

Gameau’s animated film was shot in his mother’s spare room for just $85.

“I’m quite new to stop animation, but I find it a quick and versatile way to express any idea that may be lurking in my head,” he said.

His prize includes a surprise trip to Abu Dhabi to judge the first ever Tropfest Arabia – announced by Polson during the evening. Gameau also wins a trip to LA to meet with agents and film industry executives, a brand new Canon digital video camera valued at $10,499, and $5,000 cash.

John Polson said of the winning film, “It’s such an interesting and unusual film, unlike anything I have seen. The crowd reaction was incredible. It’s the sort of film that’s difficult to describe – an animated poem – that somehow resonated with the huge audience.”

The evening’s “purple carpet” guests included Andrew Denton, Cheree Cassidy, Chris Lilley, Rachel Ward, Mick Molloy, Pia Miranda, Damian Walshe-Howling, Sacha Horler, Tara Morice, Sybilla Budd, Conrad Colby, Gracie Otto, Dieter Brummer, Emma Lung, Diarmid Heidenreich, George Houvardas, Leeanna Walsman, Gigi Edgley, Luke Ford, Matilda Brown, Rebel Wilson, Ryan Corr, Tim Pocock, Todd Lasance and Rob Carlton.

“Lightbulb” was announced as next year’s Tropfest Signature Item.

Movie Extra will repeat the broadcast on Saturday 26 February from 12.30pm -2.30pm (AEDT).

All finalist films are available from the Tropfest YouTube Channel (www.tropfest.com.au) and comes free on DVD in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on Saturday 26 February.

9 Responses

  1. Just finished watching the replay on Movie Extra and I must agree with my fellow commentators. Animal Beatbox did not at all seem worthy of first prize. I kept thinking to myself WTF all the way through the film. There were far and away better films. A Family Affair, The Applicant and Y2GAY were all hilarious. A Desperate Deed, Things to Do and The Unspoken were all beautiful films that tugged on the heartstrings. But my pick of the bunch was the 16th and final film, Bird Therapy, an hysterical film about all different birds in a group therapy session. How the just plain stupid film Animal Beatbox won over all these other great films I will never know.

  4. It’s a ripoff an English bloke that’s been producing stuff like this for the past 10 years….

    Here’s the link to his main page: rathergood.com/

    I’m really disappointed in Tropfest…

  5. A joke – nothing more than a vaguely amusing (no, make that a very vaguely amusing) viral style video. If a friend sent me this via e-mail, I would have deleted it before it was halfway through as it is cheesy, amateurish and annoying. If that is what is passing for award winning short film making in Australia at the moment, then God help the Australian film industry, it is in ten times more trouble than I thought it was. Honestly, it looks like it was put together by a primary school craft class.

  8. what a joke what a stupid film, Think there was lots of vino out that night lol I am amazed that this music type film won it’s so stupid and childish it’s not clever. You watch the influx of these types of films into tropfest now. Mind you the whole Tropfest thing is way too big now and is being invaded by big names. Polson is far to impressed with himself these days.

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