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ROB CORDDRY TO HOST "BEST OF" TROPFEST - THE WORLD'S LARGEST SHORT FILM
FESTIVAL - AT THE COSMOPOLITAN OF LAS VEGAS
Tropfest Commemorates 20 Years of Groundbreaking Programming with Series of Free
Outdoor Events in Las Vegas and New York in Festival's US Debut
16 All-Star Finalists Selected & Musical Acts Announced for Las Vegas Celebration June 1-3
4/19/2012
Las Vegas, NV (April 19, 2012) – Tropfest,
the world's largest short film festival, today announced the 16 films that will vie for the top prize in its inaugural "All-Star Competition," to be hosted by Rob Corddry (The Daily Show, Hot Tub Time Machine, Childrens Hospital), during a weekend of free, mostly outdoor events being held at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas June 1-3 in celebration of Tropfest's 20th
Official Birthday. The 16 finalists have been culled from the best Tropfest entries of the past two decades. A celebrity and industry panel will select an overall winner live before thousands of festivalgoers at the 'main event' on Sunday, June 3 (A full list of finalists follows).
The films, each less than seven minutes, have been hand-picked by Tropfest founder and acclaimed director John Polson (Hide & Seek, Tenderness) and represent a wide cross section of work whose principals have gone on to great success in front of and behind the camera. Over the past two decades, dozens of successful directors, writers, actors and others have had their start at Tropfest. Festival alumni include: Sam Worthington (Avatar, Last Night); Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby, Warrior, Animal Kingdom); Alister Grierson (director of the James Cameron-produced Sanctum); and Jason Gann and Tony Rogers, whose Tropfest short, Wilfred, was the genesis of the popular U.S. TV series of the same name starring Elijah Wood.
"I'm very excited about this," said Corddry. "Tropfest is a perfect match for me. I don't have the attention span for a full-length film festival."
For its United States debut in Las Vegas and New York, Tropfest has amassed U.S. Ambassadors including Nicole Kidman, Geoffrey Rush, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anthony Lapaglia, Liev Schreiber and Charles Randolph. The event has traditionally received extraordinary support globally from some of the biggest stars in the international film community, including the most recent iteration of Tropfest Australia where the panel of judges and guests included Kidman, Rush, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Baz
Luhrmann and Tobey Maguire.
"For the past 20 years, Tropfest has uncovered some exceptional talent in all aspects of filmmaking, and it was no easy feat to narrow down the All-Star nominees to just sixteen," said Polson. "I've been amazed and delighted watching Tropfest's audience grow over these two decades and I'm extremely proud to present them to a U.S. audience."
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the city's newest luxury resort, will host the first event in the festival's U.S. debut, Tropfest Las Vegas, starting with a Welcome Party on Friday, June 1, Tropfest's 20th Birthday Party on Saturday, June 2 and the All-Star Competition on Sunday, June 3.
The weekend's activities will feature curated short film content, the All-Star Competition and live musical performances from some of the industry's most exciting new acts. Delta Spirit, who are set to play Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza in coming months, will perform live on Saturday, June 2 at Tropfest's 20th Birthday Party and singer-songwriter-artist, LP, will close out the All-Star Competition on Sunday, June 3 at the Boulevard Pool. In keeping with Tropfest's culture globally, the vast majority of access to
all events will be FREE.
Official Broadcast Partner, STARZ CINEMA, is promoting Tropfest in the lead up via its nationally distributed premium movie channel by exhibiting many of the 'classic' short films from Tropfest's extensive library. STARZ CINEMA production crews will also cover Tropfest Las Vegas for programming content that will be broadcast later this year.
As a way to celebrate the Tropfest Las Vegas weekend, The Cosmopolitan is also seeking submissions for short films around the theme "Road to Vegas." Entries must be 2 minutes or less and must be received by Friday, May 11. The top selections will be screened during the weekend and the winner will receive a three-night stay at The Cosmopolitan, VIP entrance to Tropfest Las Vegas and a chance to have their film shown to industry professionals and critics. To enter, please visit:
http://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/roadtovegas.aspx
Corddry, also star of (fittingly!) What Happens in Vegas, next appears in the film Seeking a Friend for the
End of the World, along with Steve Carrell and Kiera Knightly, which opens in theaters nationally June 22,
2012.
Tropfest Las Vegas Schedule of Events at The Cosmopolitan:
Tropfest Las Vegas Welcome Party – Friday, June 1 – 8:00 PM
Performance by Allen Stone at Book & Stage – 9:30 PM
Tropfest 20th Birthday Party at the Boulevard Pool – Saturday, June 2 – 8:00 PM
Performance by Delta Spirit – 11:00 PM
Tropfest All-Star Competition at the Boulevard Pool – Sunday, June 3 – 8:00 PM
Performance by Musical Artist LP – 11:00 PM
General admittance to all Tropfest Las Vegas events is FREE, however, reservations are recommended
for the All-Star Competition, accessible at http://tropfestlasvegas.eventbrite.com/. (Maximum 4 spaces
per booking.)
Exclusive packages and VIP tickets are on sale and can be purchased online at www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com or by calling 702-698-7778. VIP tickets for Saturday and Sunday cost $200 and allow access to premium viewing areas and reserved areas for VIP ticket holders, celebrity judges and filmmakers.
For more information about Tropfest Las Vegas, please visit:
www.tropfest.com/lasvegas
Tropfest All-Star Competition Finalists are:
Animal Beatbox directed by: Damon Gameau
Synopsis: What is the true call of the wild?
Bomb directed by: Alister Grierson
Synopsis: When a man thinks his day can't get any worse, he discovers he is driving a bomb.
Boo directed by: Rupert Reid
Synopsis: A dark and funny look at life, death and the secret to a long marriage.
Buried directed by: Tim Bullock
Synopsis: Sometimes, disposing of a body can be a real pain in the ass.
Carmichael & Shane directed by: Alex Weinress & Rob Carlton
Synopsis: A single father has a unique approach to raising his two year old twin boys- pick a favorite.
Fish Lips directed by: Duane Fogwell
Synopsis: A story about love, about family, about fish fingers and a game called Yachtzee!
Lamb directed by: Emma Freeman
Synopsis: A father and his blind son struggle to survive on a drought stricken land.
Lemonade Stand directed by: Alethea Jones
Synopsis: Benny and Grandad are best friends and never leave each other's side. They also run the most
successful light refreshment stand in town. Yet all could change when an old neighbor decides to get in
the way.
Lucky directed by: Nash Edgerton
Synopsis: Lucky finds himself in a bind.
Mankind Is No Island directed by: Jason van Genderen
Synopsis: 'Mankind Is No island' is a film shot entirely on a cell phone, using found signage on the streets
of New York and Sydney to tell a touching story from the very heart of two cities.
Scab directed by: Koichi Iguchi
Synopsis: Learning is tough, especially when your tutor has something on his lip.
The Mistake directed by: Bryan Moses
Synopsis: The morning after a big night, a girl does everything she can to quietly escape the regrettable
one-night stand asleep next to her.
The Story of Bubble Boy directed by: Sean Ascroft
Synopsis: In a stab-happy world, a sad outcast wrestles with his demons. The story of bubbleboy is a film
about being trapped by the past and redeemed by the future.
The Switch directed by: Jonathan Emmerling
Synopsis: A romantically challenged man receives an unexpected offer
Uncle Jonny directed by: Mark Constable
Synopsis: Uncle Jonny is the best mate of a 7-year old who is daydreaming during class.
Wilfred directed by: Tony Rogers
Synopsis: A man and a dog vie for a woman's attention. Can they come to a compromise? Not likely.
About Tropfest
Tropfest is the world's largest short film festival. It began in a Sydney café 20 years ago with one short
film and an audience of 200 people. Today the Australian FREE event is attended annually by a live
audience of over 150,000 film-lovers and hundreds of thousands more watching via its national, live TV
broadcast and other platforms. Tropfest has recently launched in New Zealand, Arabia, and territories.
In 2012, the global expansion continues with the launch into the USA with Tropfest Las Vegas and
Tropfest New York.
In the past two decades, Tropfest has become known as one of the world's most exciting launch-pads
for emerging filmmakers. Tropfest is also known for securing the support of some of the biggest names
in the international film community. The Tropfest YouTube Channel has had over 11 million video views,
with around 40% of those coming from the United States. It provides film enthusiasts the chance to
watch the top films from past festivals at: http://www.youtube.com/tropfest.
Tropfest's stated ambition is to propel talented filmmakers to great heights in their chosen career,
regardless of their financial constraints, and to simultaneously bring quality, short film content to the
masses. The vast majority of access to all Tropfest's global events is FREE.
About The Cosmpolitan of Las Vegas
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is the city's newest luxury resort offering a decidedly different perspective. Located at the heart of The Strip, the resort's uniquely vertical multi-tower design offers spectacular views of the vibrant city. The new 2,995-room resort features oversized residential-style living spaces with expansive, one-of-a-kind private terraces. The Cosmopolitan's luxurious resort amenities include a 100,000 square foot casino; Sahra Spa & Hammam and Violet Hour Hair Nails Beauty; three unique pool experiences; Marquee Nightclub & Dayclub, a multi-level integrated indoor/outdoor nightclub and 150,000 square feet of state-of-the-art convention and meeting space. An eclectic line-up of new-to-market retailers include: AllSaints Spitalfields, Beckley, CRSVR Sneaker Boutique, DNA2050, EATDRINK, Jason of Beverly Hills, Kidrobot, Molly Brown's Swimwear, Monogram,
Retrospecs & Co, Skins 6l2 Cosmetics, Stitched and Utique. Signature restaurants include: Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill by restaurateurs Bruce and Eric Bromberg; Comme Ça by Los Angeles Chef David Myers; Estiatorio Milos, by international restaurateur Costas Spiliadis; Holsteins from Block 16 Hospitality; Jaleo and China Poblano restaurants by acclaimed Chef José Andrés; Scarpetta and D.O.C.G. by award-winning Chef Scott Conant; and popular steakhouse STK from The ONE Group.
For more information visit: www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Cosmopolitan_LV
Find us on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/TheCosmopolitan
TROPFEST USA Contacts: