Deadline: 12-Oct-2025
The Mercury invites early-career and emerging South Australian filmmakers to apply for the next round of Quicksilver Production Funding, now officially open for submissions.
Screen credits will be provided for both cast and crew, with the project designed as a short-form production of a standard suitable for national or international festival programming. It will highlight craft, technical skill, and creative expertise, while demonstrating excellence in scriptwriting. The initiative aims to open new career pathways for practitioners and foster fresh creative collaborations among cast and crew, with a focus on including people from underrepresented groups. Participants will also benefit from connections through the Launch Lab Program and engagement with the online Quicksilver Production Community.
Quicksilver is an inclusive opportunity for South Australian practitioners committed to pursuing a professional career in the screen industry. In 2025, it strengthens its outreach to regional and First Nations filmmakers through dedicated funding opportunities. The program strongly encourages applications that include at least one key creative from underrepresented groups such as First Nations practitioners, female identifying writers and directors, culturally and linguistically diverse practitioners, Deaf or Disabled practitioners, LGBTQIA+ communities, and practitioners from regional and remote areas of South Australia.
A total of six short films or web series pilots will be funded with a grant of $25,000 each. In addition, two targeted grants are available: one for a project led by Regional First Nations key creatives and another for a project led by First Nations key creatives, with regional involvement viewed favorably. Alongside financial assistance, in-kind support includes access to equipment and production facilities hire, insurance cover, contract templates, mentorship from an industry mentor, a script consultation, and use of the Iris Cinema for auditions and screenings.
Applications are assessed holistically on story strength and originality, directorial vision, readiness for production, budget and delivery viability, career benefits for the team, and inclusion of underrepresented groups. Eligible projects must not exceed 12 minutes in length and may be narrative fiction, documentary, live action, or animation. Projects must be standalone, demonstrate a viable budget, and avoid ineligible formats such as sizzles, music videos, and reality programming. Content that is X-rated, excessively violent, disturbing, defamatory, or culturally insensitive will not be considered.
Teams must consist of South Australian residents aged 18 or older, with at least two individuals across the roles of Producer, Writer, and Director. The Producer is the applicant and must be a subscriber to The Mercury, with all key creatives also subscribing if funded. Teams are strongly encouraged to include underrepresented practitioners both in key creative roles and in at least one Head of Department role. Full-time employees of broadcasters, commissioning platforms, or academic institutions, as well as full-time film students, are not eligible.
Applications must be accompanied by submission materials including project details, key creative bios, proposed production schedule, declarations of rights and likeness permissions, and attached documents such as one-page CVs, a production budget using the prescribed template, a production schedule, release forms for documentaries, and a production-ready script formatted to industry standards.
Applicants are encouraged to seek script feedback through The Mercury’s Writers-In-Residence Script Consultation Program and to attend the Quicksilver Information Session on Monday 8 September at The Mercury, along with the Launch Lab workshops available free to subscribers.
For more information, visit Mercury.