by FilmInk Staff
The Mercury is proud to announce the return of the highly-anticipated South Australian Screen Awards and associated Red Carpet Gala Awards Ceremony to be held on Saturday 22nd of November 2025.
Celebrating and promoting the best screen works from South Australia’s film industry, the South Australian Screen Awards (SASA’s) have been run annually for over 20 years. The SASA’s provide a vital platform for South Australian screen practitioners to showcase their work across drama, comedy, documentary, animation, music video and web-series.
Established in 1999, the SASA’s are run by The Mercury, a not-for profit organisation providing support and development for South Australia’s screen industry.
The Mercury CEO, Sarah Lancaster says: “We’re thrilled to announce that submissions are now open for the South Australian Screen Awards, with an unmissable Red-Carpet Gala planned for November.
SASA is a major celebration on the screen calendar – a night where the emerging and established sectors come together to honour bold storytelling and the extraordinary talent driving South Australia’s screen industry. This year, we’re excited to introduce two new categories – Best VFX and Best Commissioned Series – recognising the exceptional local content being created for broadcast and streaming platforms. With 26 awards spanning genre, craft, and key individual honours including Best First Nations Screen Practitioner, Mercury Rising, and Mercury Legend, we encourage all local filmmakers to step into the spotlight and submit their work.”
Categories will include:
– Grand Jury Prize (Best Short)
– Best Feature
– Best Web Series
– Best Commissioned Series – NEW
– Best Student Short Film
– Best First Nations Short Film
– Audience Award
Craft categories (open to Short Film and Web Series submissions only)
– Best Music Composition
– Best Sound Design
– Best Editing
– Best Screenplay
– Best Costume
– Best Hair & Makeup
– Best Production Design
– Best Cinematography
– Best Performance
– Best Directing
-Best VFX – NEW
Individual categories:
– Best Emerging First Nations Screen Practitioner
– Best Emerging Producer Award
– Mercury Rising Award
– Mercury Legend Award
Submissions to enter the 2025 SASA’s open today, Wednesday 30 July.
The 2025 SASA’s Gala Red Carpet Awards Ceremony will be held at The Mercury Cinema in Adelaide on Saturday 22 November
KEY DATES
Submissions open: Tuesday 30 July
Submissions deadline: Monday 8 September
Nominees announced: late October
Nominee screenings: mid-November
Tickets on sale to the SASA’s: early November
SASA’s Gala Red Carpet Awards Ceremony: Saturday 22 November
Further details at The Mercury website.
ABOUT THE MERCURY
The Mercury has a legacy spanning 50 years as a member-based centre for screen culture in the heart of Adelaide’s West End. Proudly South Australian, The Mercury is a not-for-profit organisation that operates the independent Mercury Cinema and, utilising funding from the South Australian Film Corporation, provides pathways for emerging filmmakers starting their professional screen industry career. The Mercury’s subscription model at $25/month or $300/year offers unlimited screenings to Silverscreen and Cinematheque programs, free entry to the Script Club, Launch Lab, all industry programs, complimentary use of all production facilities and equipment, one-on-one script consultations, industry mentoring, ability to apply to the Quicksilver Production Fund and a discounted South Australian Screen Award submission fee. With alumni including Emmy award winners, Oscar nominees, a Cannes Special Jury Prize winner and the Best Director winner at Sundance Film Festival, our passion for quality is undeniable. The Mercury also boasts two cinemas – a 186 seat Mercury cinema, and the 36 seat Iris – both of which offer a comprehensive film program of contemporary, classic and cult favourites films. Centrally located, The Mercury neighbours the Jam Factory, Nexus Arts, The Lion Arts Factory, ILA, UniSA West Campus, TAFE SA, AC Arts & the Flinders University Festival Plaza.
