South Australian independent filmmaking is thriving. The Mercury, Adelaide’s screen culture hub, is where this exciting program will be presented.
SA Indies includes feature films, a local First Nations shorts launch and the return of the beloved local independent film festival, GIFFA. Plus, for good measure, we’re showcasing two VR projects for full immersion.
South Australian Independent Voices
The Burnt Half
Stephen de Villiers / Australia
A gripping insight into the devastation brought upon Kangaroo Island after the catastrophic January 2020 bushfires.
When: 6pm Saturday 21 October 2023
Where: The Mercury Cinema, 13 Morphett St, Adelaide
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Emotion is Dead
Pete Williams / Australia
In the years following the Holden factory closing, a young emo skateboarder from Elizabeth comes up with a scheme to make money that embroils him in something far bigger than he ever considered. Scored with early 2000s emo bangers.
When: 8.15pm Saturday 21 October 2023
Where: The Mercury Cinema, 13 Morphett St, Adelaide
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My Darling in Stirling
Bill Mousoulis / Australia
Told entirely through song, My Darling in Stirling recounts the story of Emma, a young girl who, on a spontaneous trip to visit her aunt in Stirling, falls in love with a local boy.
When: 4.30pm Sunday 22 October 2023
Where: The Mercury Cinema, 13 Morphett St, Adelaide
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What Are We Fighting For?
Carolyn Corkindale and Christine Belford / Australia
Modern interviews coupled with archival footage, South Australians tell the story of their protests and persecutions surrounding the Vietnam War.
Screens with:
Undercurrents: meditations on power
Margot Nash / Australia
A powerful documentary essay examining the undercurrents of history playing out in the present: a ‘song’ for the dark times about repression and resistance.
When: 12pm Sunday 22 October 2023
Where: The Mercury Cinema, 13 Morphett St, Adelaide
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GIFFA 2023
The Ghan International Film Festival Australia (GIFFA) is a festival dedicated to showing films made by and about Afghanistan. Proceeds from the festival are donated to reputable charities that support child welfare in Afghanistan. This year, two remarkable feature-length films will be presented, see here for more information.
Laughing In Afghanistan
Anneta Papathanassiou
When: 6pm Sunday 29 October 2023
Where: The Mercury Cinema, 13 Morphett St, Adelaide
Watandar, My Countryman
Jolyon Hoff
When: 7pm Saturday 28 October 2023
Where: The Mercury Cinema, 13 Morphett St, Adelaide
LAUNCH: First Nations, First Films presented by SAFC
The First Nations, First Films launch will see the premiere of exciting new works from up- and-coming talent. This event is a warm and welcoming networking opportunity and a chance to learn more about opportunities including the next upcoming SAFC First Nations short film initiative.
When: 4pm Saturday 21 October 2023
Where: The Mercury Cinema, 13 Morphett St, Adelaide
Warriors
Travis Akbar / Australia
Arriving home from the horrendous Gallipoli campaign, young First Nations soldier Tambo heads to town for a drink with his digger mates before returning home.
Black Time, White Time
Edoardo Crismani / Australia
Fifteen-year-old Florence is sent to live with her deaf Aunty Janice after her parents’ divorce, where she must urgently learn Auslan language to communicate.
The Getaway
Adam Jenkins / Australia
Kyle Williams, a young Aboriginal man who recently lost his mother, decides to return to Country to find out where he belongs, leaving his pregnant girlfriend Sophia behind.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality’s immersive capabilities are put to full use in these two works, available to view in our VR program at the Mercury. A former anti-abortion activist’s DIY termination and the brutal history of a popular urban wetland are rendered in first-person and 360° perspectives which mirror their transformative narratives.
When:
10.30am – 2pm Friday 27 October 2023
11.30am – 5pm Saturday 28 October 2023
Where: The Mercury Cinema, 13 Morphett St, Adelaide
Book Now
I Took a Lethal Dose of Herbs
Yvette Granata / United States
A hallucinatory VR film about postpartum psychosis, DIY abortion, and digital culture, told through the first-person experience of a former anti-abortion activist.
Galup VR Experience
Ian Wilkes and Poppy van Oorde-Grainger / Australia
In the heart of suburban Australia there’s a lake with a buried history. Highlighting the ongoing impact of colonisation, Galup VR Experience is an intimate truth-telling experience that brings people together for connection and healing.