Tropfest: Newtown producer Adam St John won’t take his work out west to Parramatta — it’s too far away

THIS Sydney filmmaker said he will boycott the Tropfest short film festival’s new location at Parramatta because its planned move to the “middle of nowhere” was too far from his inner city home.

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MEET the Sydney filmmaker who says he won’t travel to Parramatta to show off his work.

Newtown producer Adam St John yesterday said he would boycott the Tropfest short film festival because its planned move west was too far from his inner city home.

“There is no way I’m going to hop on the train and go to the middle of nowhere for it,” he said.

“I won’t go to Parramatta, no way. Why would you put something that was so famous into an area where no filmmakers are based?

“Everyone is based in the inner city and that’s the place they should be looking to support the emerging artists.”

Film producer Adam St John with director George Lucas / Facebook

St John told The Daily Telegraph that countless other inner city artists and filmmakers would also boycott Tropfest because of the move.

The backlash has stark similarities to the campaign led by Cate Blanchett and Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore to stop the Powerhouse Museum being moved to western Sydney.

That revolt got 10,000 people to sign an online petition and risked derailing the project.

However, even Ms Moore has backed Tropfest’s move, saying it would allow more people to attend.

“Tropfest’s roots are in the inner city and I think we’ve all been proud to see it expand across the country, showcasing many of our best young and emerging filmmakers to a global audience,” she said.

“Tropfest’s roots are in the inner city,” says Adam St John.

Adam St John at work / Facebook

“It’s an incredibly important opportunity for emerging filmmakers, many living and working in the city, so it’s terrific to see the festival charting a sustainable way forward.”

Moore supporter and independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich also backed the move west, ­scoffing at suggestions that the inner city was the only place ­filmmakers lived.

“Sydney should be very proud for the support our community ­continues to give this important ­festival, regardless of where it is based,” he said.

“We will miss having it in the ­Domain, however, I expect many of the festival’s fans, including myself, will take the short train trip to ­Parramatta to enjoy it there.”

Mr  St John, who runs Newtown’s Saint Media Group, said Tropfest organisers had abandoned inner city artists.

“In general, a lot of filmmaker friends of mine and I have been over Tropfest for a few years,” he said.

“They have become too commercialised and just want to support people who have celebrity status ­instead of supporting emerging ­artists. That’s what this is about — money.”

Director George Miller pictured at the announcement of the movement of 2017 Tropfest to its new location at Parramatta Park / Picture: Richard Dobson

Adam St John won’t be taking his work out west / Facebook