The Founder Who Backed Creators Before They Broke Through

Tropfest returns this Sunday in Centennial Park and will be livestreamed globally on YouTube. In this special episode of Diving Deep, I sit down with Tropfest founder John Polson to unpack how he built the world’s largest short film festival from scratch and turned it into a cultural movement. For over 30 years, Tropfest has been a launchpad for emerging filmmakers and actors long before they became household names. John shares what he looks for in raw talent, how he recognises momentum before it’s obvious, and why backing creators early matters more than ever. We talk creativity, risk, judging art, spotting future stars, and what it takes to build something that lasts. Tropfest is back this Sunday. Watch the Tropfest Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhNeRwBqkeSW9KFQfdY1OIDbrXhBCpyNo Tune into the Tropfest livestream on Feb 22: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt9InnfPT6A