Photography courtesy of Tropfest SEA/Kevin Liew
The inaugural Tropfest SEA took Penang by storm, uniting audiences from near and far for one night of films under the stars.
After months of buzz and anticipation, Tropfest South East Asia (Tropfest SEA) was finally upon us. It promised an evening of entertainment and camaraderie, of thousands of kindred spirits sitting down under the stars at Penang’s iconic Esplanade, watching roll after roll of short films passionately made by 12 finalists from all over South-East Asia. Music performances by local and regional bands were planned. A large crowd was expected. The week leading to the event day itself was full of workshops and in-depth discussions (including film symposium Roughcut 2014) by award-winning experts and silver screen darlings such as Adam Elliot, Robert Luketic and Gurmit Singh.
Did Tropfest SEA 2014 deliver? If you liked all of the above, then yes, it did. Spectacularly. By 6pm, the Esplanade was simmering with people sprawled all over the field. The sun was still blazing, so many took shelter underneath whatever shade was available while others braved sunstroke to sit in front of the main stage. Indonesian band White Shoes and the Couples Company was steadily pleasing the crowd with jazzy rhythms and Miss Sari’s velvety vocals.
