From grassroots filmmaking to Gone Girl: why Hollywood producer Bruna Papandrea believes in community  

Bruna Papandrea has produced some of the most influential screen stories of the past decades - from Gone Girl and Big Little Lies to The Dry and Luckiest Girl Alive. As the global film industry grapples with artificial intelligence (AI) and rapid technological change, the Australian producer says the future of film still hinges on something far more basic. 

Access. 

More than 30 years ago, Papandrea became involved in Tropfest, when short films were screened at Tropicana Caffé in Sydney - long before streaming platforms, global audiences or AI entered the conversation. 

“That was really the first of its kind,” she said. “No one was doing anything like screening short films in a café. It was such an amazing community. Everyone wanted to be involved.” 

Today, as Tropfest positions itself as a future-facing festival open to new tools, Papandrea said the challenge for the industry is not whether to embrace technology, but how to do it without losing the human core of filmmaking.
 

AI, innovation and the future of film  

Papandrea said AI is already changing conversations across the film industry, but warned it must be handled carefully. 

“AI is here, obviously,” she said. “But there must be protections in place to protect the filmmakers, the actors, the writers.” 

While she has not used AI in her own productions, Papandrea said she is open to tools that make filmmaking faster and more affordable, particularly around world-building, as long as they do not replace people. 

“What I’m open to is making things faster, not replacing the people,” she said. “There have to be guardrails.”

Why Tropfest still matters

Papandrea has experienced Tropfest as an entrant, patron and judge, and said its value lies in offering a crucial first break. 

“Everyone needs an access point,” she said. “This [Tropfest] gave so many filmmakers an access point - whether it was people seeing the movies, or meeting someone new and forming a relationship.” 

She said those early opportunities can be life-changing. 

“So many amazing filmmakers have come out of there,” she said. “They’ve punched well above their weight.” 

Over the years, Tropfest has involved Australian film industry figures including Nash and Joel Edgerton, Rebel Wilson, Sam Worthington, Julia Zemiro, Abe Forsythe and Damon Gameau.  

The festival has also been supported by internationally recognised actors, including Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, Toni Collette, Russell Crowe, Samuel L. Jackson, Eric Bana and Susan Sarandon and this year’s Jury President Margot Robbie.

Representation - we need to do better

Papandrea said both Pacific Standard, which she co-founded with Reese Witherspoon, and her production company Made Up Stories were created to address gaps in how stories are told on screen. 

“When we started, there was such a problem that women were not being represented on screen in ways they should have been,” she said. 

She said that responsibility extends beyond gender and is particularly important in an Australian context. 

“I still very firmly believe that you have to reflect the world we live in,” she said. “In terms of representing the way this country looks and feels, we all need to do better.”

Why audiences keep coming back 

For people who have never attended Tropfest, Papandrea said the appeal is simple. The festival is open to everyone, removing cost as a barrier and making it easy to take part.

She said the experience offers something increasingly rare - a shared night out centred on Australian stories. 

“You don’t know what you’re going to get,” she said. “You’ll see stories that make you cry, maybe scare you - all the feelings.”  

For Papandrea, that sense of surprise and collective experience is why Tropfest continues to matter, even as the film industry evolves.


CommBank is proudly presenting Tropfest on Sunday 22 February, 2026 at Centennial Park, Sydney, and online via the Tropfest YouTube channel. Visit tropfest.com for more information.