Sydney filmmaker Matt Hardie has defended his Tropfest-winning film Bamboozled after its subject sparked some online controversy.
The short film focuses on a man who is tricked into sleeping with a guy claiming to be his post-sex change ex-girlfriend.
Hardie says that he didn't want to offend gay people or the transgender community with the prize-winning short.
"All I was intending to do was make a nice short film that was entertaining and had a nice punch at the end," he said.
In the film, the protagonist - played by Hardie - wakes up next to the guy who is supposedly his ex post-sex change. However, a TV crew bounds into the room telling Hardie he's been "Bamboozled" and it's an elaborate hoax set up by his ex-girlfriend, who is still a woman.
Hardie says if anyone is being laughed at, it's people who make reality TV.
"I don't hear any one piping up about that. They're keeping very quiet," he said.
The filmmaker said he admires comedian Chris Lilley and the TV show South Park for how they create comedy that's "really pushing the envelope and you go `oh my God, they went there'.
"That's really funny for me. I think the world would be a much sadder place if that sort of comedy wasn't out there," he said.
"I was out to make a comedy first and foremost but I wasn't out to make an offensive comedy towards gay people. I just wanted to show a situation where a guy got himself into a really uncomfortable situation that he was not used to," he said.
Hardie also pointed out that his character was willing to "go there" with a transgender person.
The actor/director showed the film to some gay friends beforehand who told him they thought it was hilarious but might ruffle some feathers.
"All I can say is that I'm not homophobic and I don't think the film is homophobic. If you disagree with me than we're just going to have to disagree," he said.
Hardie's concern now is that he may be typecast as "the guy who does taboo and risky subjects", which could prove difficult considering his last Tropfest film was about a waterfight.
"My ideas are just what I think will work and is funny and interesting ... I go with it," he said.
"This time it happened the topic was transgender."
Watch all the of the 16 finalist films here.
Watch: Bamboozled
