eNews Media Release — THE BEST OF TROPFEST 2009 will showcase the best of the world’s biggest short film festival in a special two-hour presentation from the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace hosted by Richard Wilkins on Saturday, April 11 at 9.30pm on Channel Nine.What started out 17 years ago as a tiny event at the Tropicana Café in Sydney is now a nationwide festival with international recognition as festival organisers encourage entries from film makers of all ages, backgrounds and levels of experience.

The short films can be about anything but they must be no more than seven minutes in length and include the annual Tropfest Signature, an item or word that must appear in the film. For 2009 it was “spring”.

Over 600 entries were received for Tropfest 2009. The finalists featured some of Australia’s best creative talent and includes two well known faces from the other side of the film and television cameras: Underbelly star Gyton Grantley and the hilarious Rebel Wilson (who won the Best Actress Award).

The comedy Being Carl Williams leads the showcase, which also features the controversial documentary The Furry Cheque Book, Song for a Comb, winner of the Animation Award, and Be My Brother, the heartwarming tale of a bus-stop romance which won the Best Male Actor and Best Film Awards.

This week saw the premiere of Two Fists One Heart, a film based on the life of Rai Fazio growing up in an immigrant family with a father fixated on boxing.

…Actor Daniel Amalm, known for his role on the first series of Underbelly, was impressive as a young man based on Fazio.

…The hard-hitting movie solely filmed in Perth, is about a fight for the love of his critical father and winning the heart of a girl from the right side of the track.

…The film, which features plenty of intense boxing scenes made more real by the actors’ willingness to trade actual blows during filming, also stars West Australian actress Jessica Marais.

For the complete article plaese visit the website at: www.watoday.com.au

Australia actor Damian Walshe-Howling, has just been cast as the main villain in Point Break Indo, a follow-up to the 1991 film, Point Break.

Walshe-Howling caught our eye in 2001 for his memorable role as Dean Masselos in ABC’s, Love Is A Four Letter Word.

Since then we have seen him in numerous Aussie drama’s like, The Secret Life of us, Blue Heelers and most recently the award winning Underbelly.

The actor not yet known by American audiences has feature film credits include Ned Kelly starring alongside Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom and Macbeth with Sam Worthington.

Point Break Indo is all set to now start production.

A new Australian crime movie, The Combination premiered at the Riverside Theatre at Parramatta this week while one of the film’s leading stars, 19 year old Ali Haider was absent due to being in custody on assault charges.

The movie is directed by acclaimed Australian actor David Field, known for his prominent roles in Two Hands, Chopper, Oyster famer and most recently Unfinished Sky and The Nothing Men.

Written by George Basha, the film is about a group of young Lebanese and Anglo Australians growing up in Sydney’s western suburbs.

…Guests at the screening included Underbelly stars Gyton Grantley, Matthew Newton and Peter Phelps.

Please visit the website to read more at: www.livenews.com.au

…The award-winning TV series Underbelly put Melbourne gangsters in the spotlight last year. Now it’s Sydney’s turn.

THE ACTOR
The player: Matthew Newton
His role: Playing a criminal mastermind

THE POLICEMAN
The player: Peter Lamb
His role: Sharing real-life crimefighters’ secrets

THE COSTUME DESIGNER
The player: Louise Wakefield
Her role: Dressing disco-era gangsters

THE PRODUCTION DESIGNER
The player: Paddy Reardon
His role: Creating a retro Sydney

THE PRODUCER
The player: Greg Haddrick
His role: Delivering a new crime thriller

Click here to read the complete article at: www.smh.com.au

Peter Andrikidis has a reputation for getting excellent performances from actors and bringing exciting visual flair to each production he undertakes. He brought Australian drama back and swept the television categories of the Australian Film Institute Awards (AFI) 2008.

Underbelly, based on Melbourne gangland wars won six of the eight Awards it was nominated for, including Best Drama Series and Best Direction in television.

…In 2006 Andrikidis directed the $15 million dollar Granada-ITV co-production The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant with Romola Garai, Jack Davenport and Sam Neill – It won an AFI, a Logie, a New York Festival Award for Best TV Mini-series and a Silver Plaque for Best Direction at the Chicago Awards.

…The accomplished director was also awarded a Centenary Medal for Outstanding services to Australian Society and Film Production in 2003.

Peter Andrikidis is currently directing the SBS mini-series East West 101, a drama about what it means to be Muslim in Australia after September 11, 2001.

To read the complete article visit the website at: www.greekreporter.com.