Get ready, film enthusiasts! South Australia is about to burst onto the short film scene with a wave of fresh, innovative projects, thanks to over $150,000 in funding from the Mercury Quicksilver Production Fund. This initiative, backed by the South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC), is a launchpad for emerging screen talents, providing them with the resources they need to create compelling short films. This includes mentoring, script development, production support, and access to top-notch equipment and post-production facilities.
What's the buzz about? Six original short films, crafted by 14 diverse South Australian screen creatives, have been selected to receive this incredible opportunity. The Quicksilver Production Fund has a proven track record of nurturing local talent and showcasing South Australian stories on both national and global stages.
But here's where it gets exciting... The fund's impact is already being felt! The short film I’m the Most Racist Person I Know had its world premiere at SXSW in Austin, Texas, where it clinched the prestigious Special Jury Award. It has since garnered numerous international and local accolades, including multiple wins at the 2025 South Australian Screen Awards and a nomination for the 2026 AACTA Award for Best Short Film. Other success stories include Dragon’s Breath, which won the 2025 AWGIE Award, and Finding Jia, which was officially selected for SXSW Sydney and won multiple awards.
What can we expect from the new projects? The 2025 selected projects span a wide range of genres and artistic visions. These include a screen adaptation of a genre-bending theatre production, a live-action First Nations adventure-fantasy set 60,000 years ago, and a poignant documentary exploring the migrant experience.
A spotlight on diversity: Two projects with majority First Nations key creatives have been selected: Battle of the Ancestors and Vermin. This year’s recipients also include the writer/director of the 2024 Adelaide Film Festival short drama, Finding Jia, along with One Man’s Treasure and Hera.
Here’s what the key players are saying: The Mercury CEO, Sarah Lancaster, expressed pride in supporting such a dynamic slate of projects, highlighting their bold imagination and potential for success. Kate Croser, the SAFC CEO, emphasized the importance of initiatives like Quicksilver in developing the next generation of South Australian storytellers.
Meet the recipients:
- Astro Gato: When an incoming asteroid threatens to end all life on Earth, only a street-racing cat has the skills needed to save the planet.
- Hera: A woman chainsaws a fallen tree in the South Australian bush like she’s done a thousand times before, except this time, she chainsaws her own hand, clean off.
- One Man’s Treasure: A Chinese migrant’s dream of a better life becomes buried under the weight of what he can’t throw away.
- The Fish Rots from the Head: Six days before her parents return from holiday, Eugenia discovers she’s negligently killed their beloved pet fish. Eugenia would like to explain why it wasn’t her fault things turned out the way they did.
- Battle of the Ancestors: Two Aboriginal sisters, separated for decades to protect their people, reunite for a mythic journey across ancient Australia, where they must embrace their celestial origins and ancestral knowledge to battle a dark force threatening to erase their culture, family, and the land itself.
- Vermin: Aboriginal ranger, Jarrah, ventures deep into remote Country to check motion cameras, only to uncover footage of a murder before coming face to face with the killer, Reg, forcing the ranger to survive a deadly encounter.
This is a significant step for the South Australian film industry. What are your thoughts on the projects? Do you think the focus on diverse voices and unique stories is important? Share your opinions in the comments below!**
