Georgina Haig’s comic film about the difficulty of saying ‘thank you’ makes Tropfest
When actress Georgina Haig’s son Frankie was born almost two years ago, he was struck by the charming spiral of social etiquette.
Haig sent “thank you” cards to people who gave gifts and well-wishers, and received “thank you” messages in return.
“This made me think about how funny the thank-you tradition is and when it will end,” he said. “When will we know when to stop thanking people for thanks?”
Haig turned that idea into a hilarious short film, which he wrote, directed and plays a cameo role in, which is among the finalists for the resurrected Tropfest, announced Thursday morning.
It follows grief-stricken sculptor Daphne (Holly Austin), whose inability to give thanks makes her an outcast. But when his work wins a prestigious award, he is expected to say those two fateful words.
“I was a little overwhelmed,” said Haig, known for the miniseries. INXS: Never Separate Us and movie Late Night with the Devilhe said, moments after hearing the news from festival founder John Polson. “But I couldn’t be more excited.”
More than 700 filmmakers have attended Tropfest, which returns this month for the first time since 2019 under a high-profile board that includes Sarah Murdoch (as chairman), Peter V’landys, Richard Weinberg and Bryan Brown.
The event, which will be held in Sydney’s Centennial Park on February 22, with Margot Robbie as the jury president, will be shown worldwide on Tropfest’s YouTube channel.
Haig, who hopes the festival will support his passion for directing feature films, said expressing gratitude made him realize his own neediness.
“I’ve been on both sides,” the Melbourne actress said. “I was frustrated when I felt obligated to thank people and didn’t want to do it. But maybe I was also annoyed because I expected a ‘thank you’ but didn’t get it.”
So what did Haig say when Polson told him the film had been selected? Can he bring himself to say “thank you”?
“I did it,” he said. “Even though it’s a movie about someone who can’t say ‘thank you,’ I think I can and will.”
Polson described Haig’s film as a “beautifully shot, beautifully executed” implementation of an original idea.
“The quality of movies has gone through the roof this year,” he said. “It was a real challenge to get down to 15.”
Polson said 318 films were good enough to make the shortlist instead of the usual 80 to 100, which delayed the announcement of the finalists while he watched them all.
These 15 finalists include six comedies, four dramas, two animations, one documentary, one thriller and one horror film. They all feature an hourglass as a signature element, showing that they were made specifically for the festival.
The next top 10 entries will be posted on Tropfest’s YouTube channel, and the 16th finalist will be determined by public voting.
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