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Winners of Trop Jr 2013

press release cardinal spin

Ben McCarthy, a 12 year old from NSW, has won Trop Jr. with his claymation film, Bumper, about a frog who can’t jump. Inspired by the creator of Wallace and Gromit, Nick Park, as well as last year’s Trop Jr runner up The I Think You Stink Show, Bumper was the only claymation entry to make it to the finals of Trop Jr this year. He was awarded $2000 cash and a $500 ticket voucher, $1800 worth of AFTRS Open short courses and a PlayStationVita LittleBigPlanet bundle.

The film took McCarthy six months to complete. Out of the process McCarthy has created a name for his future production company – “Messy Desk Productions”. He has spent the day after the win grilling Sam Worthington about Hollywood and how to make it in the film industry.

‘The Screen Seekers Club’ was awarded the runner-up prize for their horror-comedy-mockumentary How to Make a Horror Movie. The club, made up of six boys aged 12-15 from South Australia didn’t even know each other until their parents brought them together to collaborate on this project. They cite Scream and Chuckie as their favourite slasher films.

Harri Gilbert (NSW) also picked up a runner-up prize for Where’s My Sandwich? The 15 year old won the Trop Jr Fearless Filmmaking prize last year and loves telling stories and making films. His film explored the trials and tribulations of a teenager who has lost his sandwich.

The runner-up winners took away prizes of $750 worth of short courses at Metro Screen.

Trop Jr was judged by actor Sean Keenan, author and presenter Gretel Killeen, actress Samara Weaving and children’s entertainer Sam Moran.

Tropfest managing director Michael Laverty was delighted by this year’s Trop Jr selection. “I’m always so excited to see the finalist entries for Trop Jr,” he said. “Their incredible talent and creativity is a great sign for the future of film in Australia.”

The young audience and their families enjoyed a day of entertainment in the sunshine with Australia’s Got Talent dance wonders Ziggity Crew breaking loose on the stage and host Ash London keeping things moving.

The Trop Jr Signature Item for 2014 is to be “Monster”. Trop Jr follows the same structure as Tropfest: the film must be seven minutes or less and contain a reference to the TSI.