Polson announces collaborative film name and directors involved
Filmmaker and Tropfest founder John Polson used last night’s festival to announce more details of his new collaborative film project.
The project, in a similar vein to Paris Je t’aime and New York I Love You, will be a collection of 12 short films directed by acclaimed filmmakers, most of which are Sydney-based.
Polson, producing with Gary Hamilton, announced the film would be called Sydney Unplugged as well as announcing the directors to be involved.
Directors include David Michod (Animal Kingdom), Alex Proyas (I, Robot), Kieran Darcy-Smith (Wish You Were Here), Ivan Sen (Toomelah), Liev Schreiber (Everything is Illuminated), Rachel Ward (Beautiful Kate), Ray Lawrence (Lantana) and Russell Crowe (Texas).
Please stop… i cant take any more. John Polson seems to have a swingers night with the same people over and over. Tropfest has turned into a global party to celebrate David Michod, Alex Proya, Kieran Darcy Smith, Ivan Sen, Rachael Ward, Ray Lawrence, Russel Crowe, Anthony Lapaglia and Toni Collette when ever they aren’t working.
I have had it with this elitist shit. I am amazed John Polson is being run out of town for doing everything in his power to continue with production that does nothing more than lines his pocket and helps him get into parties in Hollywood. This is such a joke.
Let me pick 10 filmmakers with more creative flare, more style and completely new outlooks on amazing cinema. Putting this lot together is just a gimic for him to make money.
Sick of this industry and the acceptance of this garbage. My films have played all over the World, I’ve won a thousand awards and still I’m not picked because I’m not one of the girlfriends of this [comment edited].
Good luck Polson.
WTF? I wanted to barf after reading that article. My God this country and its film culture are pathetic if this twodfest gets up. Same old same old. Tired, talentless and dreary. Make the the crap stop, please!
@FIlm freak, I don’t like Polson much but it’s hard to argue he does “nothing” for Australian film culture. Like him or not, building up Tropfest into what it is – and what it has exposed young audiences to over the years – deserves an OAM.
If your films have played all over the world and won 1000 awards, why in the world are you trying to enter Tropfest? Go and make your feature.
Ummm?
Sydney Unplugged? F#@k me..there’s been a brains trust working around the clock on that title. Film Freak, I totally sympathise, its like this clique of “talent” just keeps rubbing our noses in it and are shocked when we don’t respond. Russell Crowe? I mean really..c’mon, directing?..Haven’t these people all had a fair suck of the success bottle..why do they need more? Well the answer to that is they simply can, because of their success..it might be a beautiful city..but its utterly dysfunctional and poorly managed. So if this production is going to be some kind of moving postcard..I’m already saying..YAWNNNNN
Well, at least someone is having a go and getting ahead. I think its time to stop carping and start filming. IFMA could be the Independent Film Makers of Australia. An organisation devoted to everything the carpers on this list seem to want.
Hear hear, Richard Moss.
@Richard Moss: I don’t think the issue here is that somebody is having a go and getting ahead, I think the issue here is that somebody with obvious industry connections, influence, talent, success etc etc…seems to be squandering all that by simply giving his equally talented mates with obvious industry connections, influence, talent, success a leg up with what seems to potentially be a lame idea. I could be wrong, it could be brilliant, but if it isn’t, how much taxpayer cash went into it? And why? Its not Like that the people listed here need a break. So from the outsiders view (somebody looking for a break) looking at this particular project, it seems like jobs for mates and the public can pay. I mean lets face it, this industry continues to look, feel and operate like a an industry whereby if you know the right people (mates) you go ahead and obvious talent isn’t always seen to be piggy backing on that connected equation. We have a long history of making utter stinkers that fail to connect with an audience and a lot of those stinkers were obvious from the get go, but no matter how much “Carping” goes on, these projects/films still go ahead, and when they bomb we want to know why, rightly so seeing as we are all often investors with our taxpayer dollars. When this question “Why, why did you make that stinker? is asked, it is more often than not met with muted silence ( A heartbeat away anybody?) as the circle of trusted mates refuse to elaborate on the rationale behind an obviously flawed production. So from the outside looking on this Polson project has “Obvious Stinker” written all over it, I could be wrong, I hope I am..good luck John, if it does bomb with taxpayers cash, I think Mr Polson should explain his motives behind the gamble, this and why that torrential bore of a film(if you could call it that) Animal Beatbox won last years Tropfest…sorry I know the answer to that one..[comment edited by Encore]