Tropfest appoints Britt Wickes as executive director – Tropfest has appointed Britt Wickes as executive director as the short film festival prepares for its next chapter.
Wickes was previously Head of Event Brand Marketing at Tennis Australia.
Tropfest says she brings experience across brand, major events, audiences, entertainment, partnerships and culture.
For Australia’s screen sector, the appointment lands at an important moment. Tropfest relaunched in February 2026 after a seven-year break. The festival remains one of the country’s best-known platforms for emerging short-film talent.
A new chapter for Tropfest
Tropfest is now produced by the not-for-profit Tropfest Foundation.
The Foundation was created to support emerging creative talent. Its board includes chair Sarah Murdoch, Bryan Brown, Peter V’landys, Richard Weinberg and Tropfest founder and director John Polson.
The 2026 relaunch screened 16 short films at Centennial Park. It also streamed globally on YouTube.
Lianne Mackessy’s Crescendo was named the winner. The jury included head juror Margot Robbie, Sarah Snook, Taron Egerton, Danny Philippou, Dylan River, Bruna Papandrea and Polson. James Cameron judged remotely.
Event experience
During her time at Tennis Australia, Wickes helped grow Australian Open attendance from 800,000 to more than 1.3 million.
Her work included helping grow AO Live into a 21-day live music festival. She also helped introduce TOPCOURT for Gen Z audiences and launch the United Cup.
Wickes said Tropfest feels like an exciting next step because it sits where culture, creativity, entertainment and audiences meet.
Polson said Wickes’ appointment is a major milestone for Tropfest. He said it also signals the festival’s future ambition.
Murdoch said Wickes brings brand thinking, major event experience, audience growth, creativity and commercial partnership expertise to the Foundation.
For more cinema and screen industry coverage, visit TV Central’s Cinema Releases section. More information is available from the official Tropfest website.
