Tropfest film festival to return after securing new sponsorship

The organisers of Sydney’s Tropfest short film festival have announced that, having secured a new financial backer, the event will go ahead in February 2016.

CGU Insurance have stepped in to back the event which will now run on 14th February 2016 in Centennial Park.

CGU came forward after organiser John Polson cancelled the world’s largest short film festival, which had been due to be was due to be held in Sydney on Sunday 6th December, citing “terrible financial mismanagement”.

With the festival having been cancelled as of last month, Polson said there had been an outpouring of support for the film festival since details of its financial problems had emerged.

In a statement Polson revealed: “It’s incredibly encouraging to see that the Australian public and corporate community really want to see Tropfest return.

“As a free, outdoor event, Tropfest makes short film accessible to all. There’s nothing else quite like it and I think that’s what people love.

“Thanks to the support given by CGU Insurance, we’re now able to restore Tropfest for the filmmakers whose work was put on hold, for our fans and of course for the suppliers and partners who all give so much to make the world’s largest short film festival a reality.

“It’s the comeback story of the decade.”

Billed as the world's largest festival of its kind, Tropfest attracts hundreds of entries and is watched by thousands every year

Tropfest began with organised screenings at Sydney's Tropicana cafe in 1993, and has since expanded to North America, the Middle East, New Zealand and South East Asia.

A Tropfest spokesman said investigations into the mismanagement of past funding were ongoing.

14th November 2015 - TROPFEST SHORT FILM FESTIVAL CANCELLED DUE TO TO ‘TERRIBLE’ FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT

21st February 2013 - TROPFEST FINDS A NEW HOME IN CENTENNIAL PARK

22nd January 2013 - TROPFEST EXPANDS TO NEW ZEALAND

20th July 2012 - SYDNEY’S CENTENNIAL PARKLANDS SEEKS OPEN AIR CINEMA AND THEATRE PERFORMANCE BUSINESS OPERATOR