'It's the middle of nowhere': Newtown filmmaker boycotting Tropfest after move to Parramatta
The decision to move popular film festival Tropfest out of Sydney’s inner city to Parramatta has been met with disgust from one local filmmaker.
Adam St John said he won’t be travelling to “the middle of nowhere” for the event.
The Newtown producer said he plans to boycott the festival after organisers revealed the changes earlier this week.
“There is no way I’m going to hop on the train and go to the middle of nowhere for it,” he told News Corp. “I won’t go to Parramatta, no way.
“Why would you put something that was so famous into an area where no filmmakers are based?
“Everyone is based in the inner city and that’s the place they should be looking to support the emerging artists.”
The festival is now in its 25th year and will spend at least the next three years in Parramatta.
Tropfest founder John Polson said the new location will allow the growing event to expand even further.
"After extensive research and soul-searching, as well as looking to international festivals such as Sundance and Cannes for inspiration, we've recognised our desire to have a destination we could fully embrace and call our own,” Mr Polson told AAP.
“Tropfest needed a fresh base where it can be nurtured, expand, and eventually become a multi-event festival.”
Mr St John, the director of photography at Saint Media Group, said he was “over” the event because it had lost its community feel over the years.
“They have become too commercialised and just want to support people who have celebrity status instead of supporting emerging artists. That’s what this is about — money.”
The festival started in the Tropicana Cafe in Darlinghurst but expanded to be screened in Rushcutters Bay, Sydney's Domain and then Centennial Park.
News break – August 17
