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Tropfest 2009: Winner

The winner of Tropfest 2009 urges the writers of Australian drama to write roles for her lead actor, who has Down Syndrome.

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tropfestwinnerThe winner of Tropfest 2009 has urged the writers of television dramas to consider her lead actor, Gerard O’Dwyer, who has Down Syndrome.

Genevieve Clay, 20, won with her short film Be My Brother.

“This is incredible. I have worked so hard,” Clay told the crowd of 70,000 gathered in Sydney’s Domain.

“I want to thank the cast and crew – my beautiful lead actor Gerard O’Dwyer who is best actor.

“He is incredible and I hope that all you script writers out there who write for All Saints and Home and Away just write him into your TV series because this guy will make your ratings just soar.”

The 20-year-old took out the top prize at the 17th annual awards in Sydney for her story about a young man with Down Syndrome.

Clay, who works for the ABC’s JTV, says her leading man Gerard O’Duyes was the inspiration for the film.
She won a prize package worth $100,000, including a trip to LA to meet with film executives, and $5,000 cash.

O’Duyes won Best Actor while Rebel Wilson won Best Actress for Bargain.

Second prize went to director and actor Abe Forsythe for Being Carl Williams, which also won best comedy.

Forsythe thanked Underbelly actor Gyton Grantley and his portrayal of the gangland figure for his inspiration.

This year was the first time in Tropfest history, film fans were able to watch the festival live on Television, on Movie Extra . There will be an encore screening of Movie Extra Tropfest at 12:00pm, Saturday 28th February (3 hour version). Alternatively, each night catch one of the 16 finalist films at 8.30pm from February 23 on Movie Extra with Top of the Trops.

This year’s finalist films and get a behind-the-scenes look at the festival on www.ninemsn.com.au/tropfest

Free official Movie Extra Tropfest 2009 DVD featuring all 16 finalist films will be available in the Saturday 28 February edition of The Sydney Morning Herald.

Nine  will air a Tropfest Special which will showcase the finalist films and festival highlights at a date to be determined.

Source / photo: ABC

14 Responses

  2. Oh dear…I defy any fair-thinking person to first watch the Man Stroke Woman sketch then compare it to Bargain! How embarrassing for its “creator” Rachel Givney. The premise of this wonderful competition, as I understand it, is to acknowledge and reward short films based on one single original idea.

    Givney admits the central idea to Bergain! is recycled and on that score alone her film does not deserve a place at the festival, let alone kudos as a finalist. Imagine the shitstorm if it had won!

    And as John Polson says, the similarities go deeper than the gag itself: the set, the staging, the language, the nuances, and much more. It’s a rip-off – pure and simple. I feel sorry for the other committed filmakers out there who were robbed of a place in the finals due to the presence of the recycled joke.

  4. Rachel Givney should be ashamed. Her movie ‘Bargain’ is such a direct rip-off, I can’t believe it made it to the finals. It wasn’t just slightly similar, the whole gag, timing, everything was a take off. There is no excuse for this kind of stuff

  6. The man stroke woman skit can be seen on You Tube.

    There is no mistaking Bargin! is based closely on this.

    I thought Tropfest was supposed to be “Premier” screenings of “original” content. Very disappointed.

  7. I think John Polson seriously hurt the chances of “Notes from a Scaresmith” to win anything. He also said “good luck in the awards, Scot” … being so sarcastic. It was clearly one of the best films of the night – along with “Bargain”, “Being Carl Williams” and “Be My Brother” ….

    I can’t believe “Fences” won so many awards. “Scaresmith” had an original, incredibly tight script. The cast, particularly the lead guy did fantastic work. It seems it just went over the heads of the judges. It was probably too dark a comedy and not upbeat enough for them. Despite being quite silly, it was played very subtle and cute. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope it gets more attention!!

  9. Thank you Movie Extra for showing this live. I watched the entire telecast on Sunday night and I thought that Adam Hills and Alan Brough did a great job as hosts. I really enjoyed Being Carl Williams, The Furry Cheque Book and first film they showed The News. As always there were some art house films like Dream What You Want and Song for a Comb that weren’t my cup of tea.

    And how about John Polson – saying he found it “very rude” that the director of Notes from a Scaresmith, Scott Edwards was unable to be in attendance. He was clearly not happy about that. Also, did anyone else see that some idiot in crowd kept pointing a red laser at the Polson and others during the awards presentation?

    Finally, congratulations to Genevieve Clay for taking out first prize with her beautiful little film Be My Brother.

  11. A bit harsh Sara perhaps? I haven’t seen the “Manstrokewoman” episode Juzzy is referring to (any intenet links?) but it’s good to know and I reserve judgement till then. Given there is only one idea behind this short it would be a shame if it was a direct scene copy.

    I can say that I thought Rebel played her part well but it’s pretty much the same character she always plays (good but now too much). Gerard O’Dwyer was terrific and thoroughly deserved best actor.

  12. Firstly, the insunation that I am a bitter film-maker just because I find fault is laughable.

    Tropfest is all about original short films made specifically for the festival, not gags recycled to win a competition. Wilson was good – she’s had plenty of practice perfecting that one character that she does – but for a film-maker to “borrow” comedy as an entry to a competition is just lazy.

  13. Juzzy, all classic comedy is borrowed in some fashion….look at old Steve Martin movies or Jerry Lewis movies and see how they’re exactly the same as current ones. Rebel was hilarious in the film she was in (which was written and directed by a young lady Rachel Givney). You’re probably just a jealous contestant who didn’t make the finals!

  14. I hope someone else noticed that the film for which Rebel Wilson won best actress was a direct rip-off of a sketch from the UK show “manstrokewoman”, from a few years ago. I was appalled.

    A deserving winner in Be My Brother: truly heart-warming and wonderfully executed.

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