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Emerging SA filmmakers share in over $100,000 Quicksilver production funding
18 January 2024
The Mercury has today announced twelve short film projects from emerging South Australian filmmakers will go into production this year as part of the Quicksilver Production funding initiative, supported by the South Australian Film Corporation.
These short films by 27 creatives were selected by a leading South Australian industry panel and will share in over $100,000, continuing the Mercury’s long and proud history of supporting local filmmakers.
The Quicksilver initiative aims to foster creativity and diversity within the emerging filmmaking community, with a special focus on providing opportunities for skills and talent escalation for writers, directors and producers.
The funded projects will serve as a platform for emerging crew to gain hands-on experience, bridging the gap between academic learning and professional production work.
The Mercury General Manager Sarah Lancaster said: “The Quicksilver initiative is a cornerstone of The Mercury’s commitment to supporting the next generation of filmmakers in South Australia. We are excited to create opportunities for new voices and stories and provide a platform to showcase emerging talent to the local industry and audiences. We look forward to assisting this cohort of Quicksilver projects through production and post-production and celebrating their works on the big screen.”
The Quicksilver Production Funding initiative is possible thanks to the on-going support of the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC).
SAFC CEO Kate Croser said: “The SAFC is pleased to support the development of emerging South Australian screen creatives through our continued support for The Mercury and the Quicksilver Production Initiative. Feedback from the SA screen industry tells us that nothing beats hands-on experience for enabling a successful move into a screen career. That’s why programs like Quicksilver are so important for fostering the next generation of South Australian screen storytellers. I congratulate the creative teams chosen and look forward to seeing their films.”
This year’s selected projects span a diverse range of genres, formats and subject matter. From sci-fi dramas that explore how AI will shape the way we view loss, romcoms that examine racism in dating, a buddy comedy that challenges stereotypes for people living with a disability to twisted horrors that satirise the terrors of attending networking events.
The Quicksilver cohort includes filmmakers from a broad diversity of backgrounds and levels of experience with three projects by First Nations writers, directors and producers, and six projects serving as the first funded projects for at least one of the key creatives involved.
Quicksilver recipient Suriyna Sivashanker said: “Quicksilver funding is crucial for emerging creatives like Leela and I. It presents a valuable opportunity to produce our project at the highest quality and showcases our creative capabilities in filmmaking. I am immensely grateful that Mercury supports a diverse range of filmmakers, from entry-level to mid-career practitioners. Having an organization like this advocating budding talent and projects is crucial for the growth of film careers, such as mine, in South Australia.”
Teams will be supported through production and post-production with a series of workshops and networking opportunities, industry mentors and access to The Mercury’s new on-site production facilities which include edit suite, Sound Lab and production offices.
Unsuccessful teams will also be invited to participate in a slate of events and programs designed to strengthen them and their projects for future submissions to Quicksilver.
The Quicksilver funding initiative is part of a suite of industry development programs at the Mercury funded by the South Australian Film Corporation to provide support for emerging and entry-level SA screen creatives, including a monthly Script Club in addition to Launch Lab, a year-long monthly workshop series led by industry professionals that is designed to assist both emerging creatives and crew by elevating their skills and provide career pathways.
The Mercury also facilitates regular script consultations in the Shane Brennan Writers Room supported by the Australian Writer’s Guild and access to production facilities on-site.
Subscription to The Mercury includes unlimited access to all their facilities, equipment, programs along with entry to their screening programs; Cinematheque, Silverscreen sessions and Heaps Good Cinema.
The Quicksilver funding was determined by an industry panel consisting of The Mercury Development & Program Manager Stephanie Jaclyn, SAFC First Nations Industry Development Executive Tyme Childs, Producer Bonnie McBride and Director Richard Jasek.
Learn more about the selected projects via The Mercury.
Quicksilver Production Funding Recipients
$20,000
Great Divide
Producer: Adam Camporeale
Writer/Director: Stephen Packer
Burnout
Producer/Writer: Lilla Berry
Director/Writer: Johanis Lyons-Reid
Writer: Piri Eddy
$10,000
Guts
Producer: Ben Galotta
Director/Writer: Scarlet Scherer
Dancing Dragon
Producers: Wei Gao + Dante Niedzwiedz
Director/Writer: Shuying (Grace) Liu
The Hitcher
Producers: Tom Schaefer + Cooper Rees-Jones
Director/Writer: Henry Reimer Meaney
I’m the Most Racist Person I Know
Producer: Suriyna Sivashanker
Director/Writer: Leela Varghese
The Shifting Eyes
Producer: Bryce Kraehenbuehl
Director/Writer: Alex Salkicevic
$7,000
A Nightmare on Felt Street
Producer: Craig Jackson
Director/Writer: Brendan Godfrey
Liability
Producer: Jasmine Leech
Director/Writer: David Daradan
Additional Creative: Joshua Campton
Great Deliverance
Producer: Jasmine Leech
Director/Writer: Guy Henderson
First Nations Quicksilver Production Funding Recipients
$8,000 (2 projects)
Second Chance
Producer: Tim Harkness
Director/Writer: Thibul Nettle
The Mysterious Maiden of Montefiores
Producer: Josh Trevorrow
Director/Writer: Travis Akbar