Tropfest 2005

Every year, in February. In celebration of the Australian short film festival, aussie filmmakers together, with some 130,000 people all over Australia gather together to view the work of 16 finalist films selected from over 700 entries in major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and Hobart.

This year. It's on the gounds of Sydney Domain.

We were there amongst the crowd with friends camped in the open waiting in anticipation for the films to begin.

Equipped with picnic mats, bread buns, sausage rolls, junk food and beer. We had a great time catching up with friends, and laying out in the sun.

The winner of this year Sony Tropfest is Luke Eve with his film “Australian Summer”.

It features 2 Australian homeless men’s desperate attempt to escape from the harsh reality of their worlds - While warming themselves over a bin of fire. They talked about trips to exotic places. Surfing the beaches of the Gold Coast. Having a time of their lives.

For that short moment, they were healthy young men with not a care in the world. They were not hungry, sad, helplessly trapped in a desolated life.

Reality soon hit cruelly back to them as the fantasy ended. Both men slump back into the torn sofa with one dozing off to sleep with a smile on his face. And the other residing to fate.

I felt the actors were brilliant.