
Bumper by Ben wins Trop Jr
Twelve year old Ben McCarthy from NSW has won Trop Jr with his short film Bumper, about a frog that can’t jump. Bumper was the only clay-mation film to make the finals, and Ben was one of the youngest finalists. Ben’s film was made at home on the desk in his bedroom and it took him six months.
Trop Jr filmmakers must be aged 15 or under. Hundreds of entries came from all over Australia, and were submitted by individuals, groups of friends, clubs and school groups. The sixteen finalist films were screened at the Domain in Sydney 17 February before a celebrity judging panel and a large crowd. The judges were Sean Keenan (of Lockie Leonard and Puberty Blues), Sam Moran (former Wiggle), Gretel Killeen and Samara Weaving (Home & Away).
The runners up were How To Make A Horror Movie by six boys aged 12 – 15 from South Australia calling themselves the “Screen Seekers Club” and Where’s My Sandwich? by 15 year old Harri Gilbert.
All the finalist films can be viewed on the Trop Jr website at http://tropfest.com/tropjr/
See also:
March 27th 2025
Tales from Outer Suburbia adaptation to screen at prestigious Annecy Festival
The television adaptation of Shaun Tan’s bestselling illustrated anthology Tales from Outer Suburbia has been selected to screen at the Annecy Animated Film Festival in France, which celebrates the best of international animation.
March 26th 2025
Puppetry meets politics on the set of Knee High Spies
The Victorian Minister for Creative Industries, Colin Brooks, recently went behind-the-scenes on the upcoming children’s series Knee High Spies, currently being produced in Melbourne by Werner Film Productions (Dance Academy, The Newsreader) for the ABC.
March 24th 2025
Space Nova S2 to launch onto screens this April
The animated adventure series Space Nova returns for a second season next month, premiering on ABC iview on Thursday 24 April.
March 24th 2025
Aussie kids’ content recognised with Rockie Award nominations
Preschool animation Eddie’s Lil’ Homies and family feature film Windcatcher have been recognised for their excellence with nominations in the prestigious 2025 Banff World Media Festival Rockie Awards.
March 3rd 2025
Screen stories to share with your class for International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. These screen stories about change-making Australian girls and women will help primary and secondary teachers explore this year’s theme: Accelerate Action.