Hosted by Adam Spencer and Yumi Stynes. Tropfest is Australia’s most prestigious short film festival and one of its most iconic cultural events. Founded in 1993 by film director John Polson as a small screening for family and friends, the festival now attracts a live national audience of more than 150,000 people. Tropfest is open to anyone who wishes to enter – regardless of their background or experience. Sixteen finalists are selected from an entry pool of around 700 entries and compete for more than $100,000 in prizes. This year’s Tropfest Signature Item (TSI) is ‘Balloon’.