Tropfest 2026 was a celebration of Australia’s brightest talents, with Margot Robbie, Sarah Snook, Danny Philippou, Bryan Brown and other stars turning out in Sydney on Sunday night to support the next generation of filmmakers.
Philippou, who started his career on YouTube before making two of Australia’s most talked-about horror films (Bring Her Back and Talk To Me), told Rolling Stone AU/NZ that Tropfest is so important to help discover untapped potential.
“I just want to keep finding new voices. Like really raw, honest voices, that aren’t too cut down and blunted at the edges,” he said.
“Try and give a voice to people that normally wouldn’t have a shot. That’s the most exciting part. Especially for something like tonight, the submissions were wide open and you didn’t have to have professional funding for it, so it will just be fun to try and find new voices.”
Sarah Snook. Image: Ashley Mar
Fellow judge Sarah Snook (Succession) echoed his thoughts, saying that joining the film industry is now more accessible than ever because filmmakers no longer need to have expensive equipment as technology has evolved so much since when she first started out in the industry.
“I feel like there’s a real democratisation of late, because everyone’s got an iPhone or a phone that shoots well and you can get sound on a Rode mic or whatever it is,” Snook said. “If you are industrious and ingenious, you can create a film that could be in Tropfest.”
For Jury President Margot Robbie, when she first entered the film industry, actors couldn’t audition for roles unless they were physically in the room. Now, things have changed. There are less limitations, which means more creativity.
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“You don’t have to be living in Sydney or Melbourne to get into the film industry in Australia,” Robbie told Rolling Stone AU/NZ.
“You can be living anywhere, you can make a short film and send it in, and you might be one of the finalists, and it might launch your career. I just think Tropfest is an amazing launch pad and also an amazing place for people to get to know each other and network. And it’s also a night out for everyone.”
One of Australia’s most beloved actors, Bryan Brown, was also there on the night to support Tropfest.
“Tropfest is really the opportunity for them to try stuff to see if they’ve got talent, whether they’ve got good storytelling — if they have, we’ll find out as we go along, and then they’ll get better, and they’ll be making film and television,” he said.
“Kids are telling stories in a way that wasn’t happening seven to eight years ago, so I’m really interested to see how that turns out, what they’re like as storytellers now.”
Lianne Mackessy (Sydney, NSW) won for her film Crescendo on the night, with the jury describing it as “absolutely pitch perfect.”
Mackessy accepted the $50,000 award, saying, “I’m so grateful to John Polson, the Tropfest team and all the sponsors – without them we couldn’t have connected with audiences the way we have.”
Second prize went to Jasper Sharpe (Melbourne, VIC) for his film We Don’t Take Breaks, and in third place was Nicky Tyndale-Biscoe (Melbourne, VIC) for her film Silent Night.
