South Australia Screen Awards

The Media Resource Centre (MRC) is calling for entries for South Australia’s premier screen awards – the 2012 South Australian Screen Awards (SASAs).

Established in 1999, the SASAs exhibit, celebrate, support and promote South Australian talent through the presentation of 20 awards encompassing short film, feature film and emerging local talent. In the lead-up to the Gala Awards Night on Friday 20 April 2012 there are several ‘Best Of’ Screenings for nominated films and winning films are later toured throughout regional South Australia.

Over the last decade the event has grown consistently alongside the local film industry. To reflect the growing amount of features being made in South Australia with South Australian key creatives, the Media Resource Centre introduced the Best Feature Film Category in 2009, with a prize sponsored by the Mercury Cinema. The prize is a four screening session of your film at the Mercury Cinema with free venue hire plus 100% of the Box Office takings. Valued at over $3000 with the potential for Box Office earnings of up to $11,000 in cash it is a considerable prize for films that have not yet secured commercial distribution.

“The Mercury Cinema is pleased to again offer this award, which promotes local independent feature filmmakers,” says Gail Kovatseff, MRC Director. “Winning these four free screening sessions gives the filmmakers the opportunity to ‘test’ that their film has an audience, and to create public awareness of their film and raise funds to market it further both nationally and internationally.”

With the phenomenal amount of recognition South Australian filmmakers have received over the past year in festivals around Australia and internationally, it is anticipated that the standard of entries in 2012 will be very competitive.

“It is exciting to see so much quality filmmaking occurring in South Australia, and for our films to receive such critical attention nationally and worldwide is a credit to the emerging film industry in South Australia,” says Shane McNeil, MRC Manager of Programs and Development. “The SASA Awards allow emerging filmmakers to have an event where they can celebrate and enjoy their successes and achievements amongst their peers.”

Entry forms and guidelines for the 2012 SA Screen Awards can be downloaded here. Forms are also available at the Media Resource Centre and Mercury Cinema (13 Morphett Street, Adelaide).

The entry deadline for the short film categories is 4pm Friday 20 January 2012.
The extended deadline for short film entries is 4pm Friday 10 February 2012.
The entry deadline for the feature category is 4pm Friday 2 March 2012.