Mercury CX
The Media Resource Centre (MRC) is a not-for-profit film and television training organisation based in the Lion Arts Centre on the corner of Morphett Street and North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, which aims to give screening opportunities to emerging South Australian film, video and digital media artists. It also manages the not-for-profit Mercury Cinema, which shows films by subscription to the Adelaide Cinémathèque film society, screening classic or notable films and hosts film festivals and other events.
History
The Media Resource Centre was created in 1974 and is one of the earliest members of the Screen Development Australia (SDA) national network. It moved from its first location at 1 Union Street to a larger location in Pirie Street in the 1980s, where it provided a venue to screen local filmmakers' works as well as other independent, community or hard-to-find international films; it also provided equipment space for filmmakers to work on their projects and network with others.[1]
In 1992 the MRC moved to the purpose-built Lion Arts Centre, located in a refurbished factory in the West End of Adelaide and housing numerous arts organisations, including galleries and theatres. It merged with Commedia, a community media organisation, at the same time. The Mercury and Iris cinemas were created next door[2] and opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1992.[3][1]
As of 2019[update] the MRC director is Gail Kovatseff.[4]
Description
The MRC is a not-for-profit incorporated association which provides facilities for career development in the film industry, from entry-level to early career, providing access to equipment, advice and a subsidy programme. It offers production support, professional development and industry and community partnerships.[5] The offices are located in the Lion Arts Centre on the corner of Morphett Street and North Terrace, Adelaide.[2]
Mercury Cinema
The Mercury Cinema building includes its main 186-seat cinema as well as the 36-seat Iris Cinema, situated adjacent to the Lion Arts Centre, facing Morphett Street.[2] As a not-for-profit organisation, there is a film society, Adelaide Cinémathèque, members of which can attend regularly scheduled films.[6] The Iris is available for hire as a venue, and is used for Adelaide Fringe performances as well as for many other uses.[7][8] The Cinema also runs a series of programmes on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, such as Sunday Sessions and Seniors on Screen, and a school holiday programme.[9]
The Cinema also hosts film festivals, some one-off and some annual occurrences. In the latter group are a programme of the best films from the Flickerfest (a Sydney festival for short films),[10] films from the Adelaide Festival Centre's OzAsia Festival, selected films for the Adelaide Film Festival, and the Iranian Film Festival Australia (which occurs in most of Australia's capital cities).[11][12]
Screen Makers Conference
The Screen Makers Conference is an annual national conference hosted by the MRC since 2014, and aims to "[bring] together Australia’s writers, directors, producers and other screen creatives to share knowledge, connect with the industry, and pitch projects to the national marketplace".[13] It is regarded as one of two major annual conferences for filmmakers, the other being the Australian International Documentary Conference.[14]
In 2018 the Conference attracted over 200 delegates, including Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason and Kingston Anderson from the Australian Directors' Guild, independent filmmaker and educator Cathy Henkel, Rowan Woods, currently head of directing at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, senior managers from several major national TV companies as well as the government-owned broadcasters, the ABC and SBS.[14]
In 2019 it expanded to three days, partnered with television production company Screentime and also included video games in its remit.[15][4]
South Australian Screen Awards
The Media Resource Centre has run the South Australian Screen Awards (SASAs) since establishing them in 1999, to "exhibit, celebrate and promote the best screen works of the South Australian film industry".[16] These are awarded in conjunction with the Screenmakers' Conference, and in 2019 awarded A$40,000 of prizes, including two new awards: best costume, and best hair & makeup.[15]
Award | Winner |
---|---|
Best Film | Robert McFarlane: The Still Point |
Best Drama | The Big Nothing |
Best Comedy | Lucy & DiC |
Best Animation | Blue Cherry |
Best Documentary | Robert McFarlane: The Still Point |
Best Music Video | I'll Accept by Juno |
Best Web Series | Goons Inc. |
Best Screenplay | Elspeth Trautwein (The Sandpit) |
Best Directing | Sara West (Mutt) |
Best Cinematography | Maxx Corkindale (Mutt) |
Best Editing | Nick Eades (The Sandpit) |
Best Female Performance | Jordan Cowan (Mutt) |
Best Male Performance | Oscar Redding (Mutt) |
Best Production Design | Lauren Murray (The Big Nothing) |
Best Sound Design | Josiah Allen & Indianna Bell (Small Town P.D) |
Best Music Composition | Cezary Konarski (Zoe) |
Mercury Award | Ernie Clark ACS |
Young Filmmaker Award | Jordan Cowan |
Emerging Producer | Jodie Kirkbride |
Award | Winner |
---|---|
Best Short Film | Smashed |
Best Feature Film | Charlotte |
Best Drama | Postcards from Nowhere |
Best Comedy | Walter |
Best Animation | After All |
Best Documentary | Komorebi |
Best Music Video | In Your Fire (Wasted Wanderers) |
Best Web Series | Almost Midnight |
Best Screenplay | Jeremy Nicholas (Variations of a Theme of Violence) |
Best Directing | Sean Lahiff (Smashed) |
Best Cinematography | Maxx Corkindale (Smashed) |
Best Editing | Sean Lahiff (Smashed) |
Best Non-Narrative | Il Signore Anziano aka The Elderly Gentleman |
Best Performance | Mark Coles-Smith (Spin Out) |
Best Production Design | Pip Strachan (Maurice's Symphony) |
Best Sound Design | Andrew Graue (Smashed) |
Best Music Composition | Luke Altmann (Ambergris) |
Young Filmmaker Award | Jeremy Nichols |
Emerging Producer | Alex Keay |
Independent Spirit Award | Stephanie Jaclyn |
Project funding: PIP and Springboard
The Media Resource Centre supports developing South Australian filmmakers via its Production Initiative Program (PIP), which funds several projects each year.[17] Selected projects are often then developed in the MRC's career development program, Springboard.[18]
Year | Title | Format | Producer | Director |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | #DogsofAdelaide | Web Series | Erin Paterson | Leela Varghese |
2018 | Dead Centre | Web Series | Kurt Roberts | Benno Thiel |
2018 | Fading | Web Series | Jodie Kirkbride | Stephanie Jaclyn |
2018 | Ice Box | Short | Brendan Skinner & Simon Williams | Nathaniel Schmidt |
2018 | Thirst | Short | Jodie Kirkbride & Kate Bonney | Kiara Milera |
2017 | Aquaphobe | Short | Gilbert Kemp-Attrill | Melanie Easton |
2017 | Chloe | Short | Kate Jarrett | Nick Cowan |
2017 | Good | Short | Ashleigh Knott | Luke Wissel |
2017 | Small Town P.D. | Short | Indianna Bell & Paul Forza | Indianna Bell & Josiah Allen |
2017 | Spider in the Garden | Short | Louise Pascale | Nina Pearce |
2017 | White Lillies | Short | Kate Jarrett | Lucy Gale |
2016 | Freemales | Web Series | Jodie Kirkbride | Stephanie Jaclyn |
2016 | Get Prepped | Web Series | Sally Hardy, Nathan March, Stuart Sturgess & Annalouise Sortini | Nathan March, Stuart Sturgess & Annalouise Sortini |
2016 | Perfect Timing | Short | Emily McAllan | Emily McAllan |
2016 | The Big Nothing | Web Series | Claire Bishop, Peter Ninos, Lucy Campbell & Sophie Morgan | Peter Ninos & Lucy Campbell |
2016 | Space Sushi | Short | Debra Liang | Makoto Koji |
2016 | The Tiny Home | Short | Cate Elliot & Sophie Morgan | Sophie Morgan |
References
- ^ a b "History". Media Resource Centre. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ a b c "Location". Media Resource Centre. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ "Mercury Cinema". Adelaide Film Festival. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ a b "Media Resource Centre to launch initiative with Screentime, expand 2019 conference". if.com.au. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ "What we do". Media Resource Centre. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ "Adelaide Cinémathèque". Mercury Cinema. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ "Hire us". Mercury Cinema. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ "Mercury Cinema". Adelaide Fringe. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ "Adelaide's Mercury Cinema unveils its 2016 program". if.com.au. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ "Adelaide". Flickerfest. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ "9th Iranian Film Festival Australia". Iranian Film Festival Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ "Film Fiestas". Mercury Cinema. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ "[Home]". Screen Makers Conference. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ a b Tiley, David (3 October 2018). "Media Resource Centre aims for national conference". ArtsHub. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ a b <Korsten, Tracey (23 January 2019). "Media Resource Centre Set for an Amazing 2019". GlamAdelaide. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ "SASA". Media Resource Centre. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ "PIP". Media Resource Centre. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ "Springboard". Media Resource Centre. Retrieved 4 August 2019.