No stranger to adversity, Tropfest has weathered many storms over the years.
Resurrected in 2016 following its cancellation a year prior due to funding mismanagement by the former contractors, this year it was nearly abandoned again due to weather damage.
Compared to the infamous "Fyre Festival" by actor Adam Spencer, footage from the wild storm which lashed Parramatta Park showed the film screens being battered by wind and the stage being pummelled by torrential rain.
But at the eleventh hour the production crew toiled away overnight to build a new set and find a fresh location for the screenings.
Back in Australia after wrapping up true crime podcast-turned-Netflix series Dirty John, Eric Bana heads up a panel of industry professionals who will choose the winner later in the night.
He said he was most looking forward to seeing the films shared in-front of an audience for the first time, and their reaction would ultimately influence his decision.
"I'm looking forward to seeing the collective emotion here tonight, it doesn't necessarily have to be a barrel of laughs," he told the crowds on Saturday night.
"It doesn't get better than having your films played in front of an audience like this."
Fellow Aussie actor Marta Dusseldorp who joins Eric Bana on the official judging panel acknowledged the hard task ahead of Tropfest finalists.
"To make a film in six - seven minutes is unbelievably hard, Ms Dusseldorp told AAP.
"What I'll be looking for tonight is a deftness of touch, a really good point of view, it can't just be a scene in a feature or a long short," she said.
The top prize of $10,000 will be awarded by the judging panel after the 16 finalists films have been screened.
Share
