actors Naomi Watts & Geoffrey Rush judge SonyTropfest 2008

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Academy award winner Geoffrey Rush

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Sony Tropfest 2008, the world's largest short film festival now in it's 16th year was held this Sunday night in the harbourside Botanical Gardens in Sydney and judged by a panel of film professionals that included actors Naomi Watts, Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush, Claudia Karvan, director Gillian Armstrong and Tropfest founder, director and actor John Polson.

Named after the Tropicana coffee shop where Polson began his short film festival in 1992,hundreds of budding film makers enter their productions for a final 12 short films from which one winner will emerge to win prizes valued at $32,000 and the opportunity to enter the film industry as a professional film maker. This year's winner was Michelle Lehman with Marry Me, a love story about a little girl who likes a little boy and a little boy who likes his BMX bike.

A film tribute about the life of the late Heath Ledger also brought Watts, a former  lover of the  actor close to tears.