Press release from Foster Hill PR & Marketing
The Media Resource Centre (MRC) is calling for entries for South Australia’s premier screen awards – the 2010 South Australian Screen Awards (SASAs).
Established in 1999, the SASAs exhibit, celebrate, support and promote South Australian talent through the presentation of 18 awards encompassing short film, feature film and emerging local talent. In the lead-up to the Gala Awards Night (4 March 2010) there are several ‘Best Of’ Screenings and the winning films are later toured throughout regional South Australia.
Over the last decade the event has grown consistently alongside the local film industry. The 2009 SASAs saw record attendances and several sell-out screening sessions. It was also the year the MRC expanded the awards to include a Best Feature Film category.
Each award brings with it a cash and/or in-kind prize and this year the spoils of victory are more lucrative than ever. For the first time, the South Australian Film Corporation is contributing a cash prize of $3,000 for the Best Short Film.
“The SAFC is thrilled to be offering a $3,000 cash prize to the recipient of this year’s best short film SASA award,” said SAFC CEO, Richard Harris. “We hope this money will be instrumental in the continuing film pursuits of the winner, and be put towards creating their next short film in South Australia. By providing support to the emerging industry to make shorts with the support of the MRC, the SAFC and Screen Australia, we are encouraging the growth of Adelaide’s rising talent and promoting opportunities for film makers to make their mark in South Australia and beyond.”
In another new move, the winner of The Mercury Cinema Award for Best Feature Film will receive three screening sessions of the film at the Mercury Cinema with free venue hire and staff plus 100% of the Box Office takings (valued at over $2,000 plus Box Office income).
“We are pleased to offer this prize as it guarantees that entered features made by South Australians will get a screening in Adelaide as part of the awards, with the winner getting a short season at a CBD cinema,” said Gail Kovatseff, director of the MRC.
Previous short film award winners at this event have gone on to receive national and international recognition: Necessary Games (2009 SASAs Best Short Film Winner) took out Best Experimental Short Film at the 2009 Melbourne International Film Festival and has been nominated for an EnhanceTV Atom Award and Independent Spirit IF Award. You Better Watch Out (2008 SASAs Best Short Film winner) went on to be nominated for Best Short at the IF Awards and screened at Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Entry forms and guidelines for the 2010 SA Screen Awards can be downloaded from the Media Resource Centre’s website: www.mrc.org.au Forms are also available at the Media Resource Centre and Mercury Cinema (13 Morphett Street, Adelaide)