THE MERCURY is a bridging organisation that provides emerging screen makers with a pathway into a screen career and is a lifelong screen culture community.
THE MERCURY
HISTORY
Established in 1974 as the Media Resource Centre, The Mercury has a legacy spanning over 45 years and is a much beloved member-based centre for screen culture in the heart of Adelaide’s West End.
Its list of achievements includes a rich exhibition history of art-house cinema programs including Cinematheque, Seniors on Screen, the SASAs, film festivals and culturally distinctive genre based programming.
Its industry arm has supported the development of emerging filmmakers through professional development programs such as regular workshops, training courses, filmmaking bootcamps, digital storytelling, community outreach programs, music video initiatives and more recently Springboard and Screenmakers.
Its production programs have helped birth the careers of many successful filmmakers in providing their first screen credits from initiatives such as Silent RemasterS, Next Step, Raw Nerve, PIP, I Can See Queerly, Digitopia, Frame By Frame, TropFest Bootcamp, First Shot, NITV, Got Genre, Clip It!, Emergers, 10×10 music videos, and more recently Quicksilver.
FUTURE
PURPOSE
We connect passion, profession and screen culture.
The Mercury is a bridging organisation that provides emerging screen makers with a pathway into a screen career and is home to a lifelong screen culture community.
THE MERCURY TEAM
CO-CHAIR
Peter Hanlon
Peter Hanlon is an Adelaide-based film producer and is a partner in Mess Productions, Madeleine Parry’s film production company.
Peter is also a founder of Living Not Beige Films which, in 2022, produced the Adelaide Film Festival opening night film, The Angels: Kickin’ down the Door
In addition to filmmaking, Peter is also a government and business adviser, and Board member. Prior to filming, Peter had careers in banking and the military.
CO-CHAIR
Kirsty Stark
Kirsty Stark is an Emmy award winning television producer whose screen credits include children’s series FIRST DAY, STATELESS (co-producer for Matchbox Pictures), feature film A MONTH OF SUNDAYS (Madman Production Company) and ABC iview series GOOBER, UNBOXED and WASTELANDER PANDA.
Kirsty founded and runs independent production company Epic Films, and recently launched CrewHQ, a nationwide crewing platform for production freelancers around Australia. She has a strong commitment to supporting the wider industry.
BOARD MEMBER
Rebecca Summerton
Rebecca is an owner/director of award winning South Australian production company Closer Productions and a screen producer. Her major feature credits include breakout low budget drama 52 TUESDAYS, documentary SAM KLEMKE’S TIME MACHINE and Irish/Australian official co-production ANIMALS. Rebecca also produces for television, most notably THE HUNTING which currently holds the record for the highest ratings on a SBS commissioned drama and two seasons of ABC comedy series AFTERTASTE.
BOARD MEMBER
Madeleine Parry
Madeleine Parry is an award-winning director, writer and EP of film and television. Parry directed the Emmy award-winning Hannah Gadsby: Nanette for Netflix and ADG award-winning immersive documentaries for the ABC, was selected as a writer/director for the inaugural Adelaide Film Festival/SAFC Film Lab: New Voices initiative and awarded the Lottie Lyell award to write a dramatic feature. Parry founded MESS PRODUCTIONS in 2021 with Peter Hanlon and came through The Mercury’s programs and supportive professional network straight out of high school.
BOARD MEMBER
Lisa Scott
Lisa Scott is a multi-award winning producer of quality scripted drama through her company Highview Productions. Recent productions include The Tourist (BBC1, Stan & HBO Max), A Sunburnt Christmas (STAN), The Hunting (SBS) and Pine Gap (ABC & Netflix).
BOARD MEMBER
Adrian Tisato
Adrian Tisato is a commercial lawyer, company director and Government board appointee with almost 30 years’ experience. He currently also serves on the board of the Art Gallery of South Australia and previously served on the Board of the South Australian Film Corporation and as Chairman of the People’s Republic of Animation. Adrian has produced a documentary about Russian punk protest group, Pussy Riot, has composed music that has been licensed to US and Australian television shows, is an investor and co-founder in technology companies, and has been a long-time benefactor to the arts in South Australia.
BOARD MEMBER
Daniel Tune
Daniel Tune is a current Screen Studies student at Flinders University. He is a longtime supporter of and occasional volunteer/programmer at The Mercury. In addition, he is also a co-founder of the independent screening organisation ‘moviejuice’, and an emerging filmmaker with the Igauno ’22 group, with his first micro-budget feature MALLS set for completion for the end of 2023.
BOARD MEMBER
Kath Dooley
Associate Professor Kath Dooley is a filmmaker and academic based at the University of South Australia. She is currently a member of the Australian Screen Production, Education and Research Association (ASPERA) Executive and Chair of their Research Subcommittee.
BOARD MEMBER
Nara Wilson
Nara Wilson is a proud Wirangu, Kokatha and Larrakia woman based on Peramangk country in the Adelaide Hills and is a Screen and Media Producer working within animation, VR and AR at Vishus Productions.
Her working background of the past nine years has been in the First Nations film space helping curate more South Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories to the screen. Across four years working at the South Australian Film Corporation, she implemented South Australia’s first and second First Nations Screen Strategy for the state, then turning her attention to implementing the state’s first First Nations Arts Strategy for South Australia at Arts South Australia.
GENERAL MANAGER
Sarah Lancaster
Email: sarah@themercury.org.au
Sarah brings to The Mercury a wealth of screen industry experience from her years producing screening and industry programs for major film festivals including Sydney Film Festival, TIFF and Hot Docs. Her previous roles include Production and Development Executive at the South Australian Film Corporation, and Operations Manager of the award-winning 2020 Adelaide Film Festival.
EXHIBITIONS MANAGER
Ryder Grindle
Email: ryder@themercury.org.au
Take a true cinephile and apply the technical skills to bring the sharpest image to screen in any format, and you have our lead projectionist and technical specialist, Ryder.
DEVELOPMENT & PROGRAM MANAGER
Stephanie Jaclyn
Email: steph@themercury.org.au
Stephanie’s insatiable appetite for all things film has seen her amass a wide range of experience across all facets of the industry. In addition to writing, directing and producing a slate of short form projects, Stephanie has experience in Story Development, Research, Production, Marketing and Script Supervising.
VENUE MANAGER
Kerry Ireland
Email: kerry@themercury.org.au
Kerry has extensive experience working for a wealth of local and national arts organization’s including the State Theatre Company of SA, Sydney Theatre Company as the Venue Manager of the Roslyn Packer Theatre, and Venue Manager for the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Parade Theatres.
Mercury Casuals, Volunteers and Interns
The range of activities delivered by The Mercury would not be possible without our valued casual team members, our volunteers for key programs and interns delivering on major events.
The Mercury is accepting EOI for short volunteer roles across web development, photography and content creation. To discuss how your skills might support The Mercury contact: hello@mercurycx.org
The Mercury is located in the Lion Arts Centre, 13 Morphett Street, Adelaide.
We can be contacted by phone, + 61 8 8410 0979, or email, hello@mercurycx.org.
OUR MAJOR PARTNERS
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO OUR MAJOR PARTNERS SUPPORTING EXCELLENCE IN STORY
