South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) is a

South Australian Government The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government, SA Government or more formally, His Majesty’s Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of South Australia. It is modelled o ...

statutory corporation established in 1972 to engage in film production and promote the film industry, located in

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater A ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. The Adelaide Studios are managed by the South Australian Film Corporation for the use of the South Australian film industry.

History

1972–2000

The South Australian Film Corporation was founded as a production company in 1972, established under the ''South Australian Film Corporation Act'' by the Dunstan government. It was intended “to stimulate and encourage the formation and continued development of the South Australian film and television industry”. At the time of the Corporation's establishment, the Australian film industry was stagnating, and the Corporation played a significant role in the revival of Australian film making. Premier Don Dunstan played an instrumental role in the foundation of the Corporation and its early film production activities.David Stratton, ''The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival'', Angus & Robertson, 1980 p17 From its genesis, the SAFC collaborated with various government departments and agencies in the production of short documentaries and educational films. These included co-productions with the South Australian Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Department of Marine & Harbors, the Education Department, the Office of Fair Trading, the Department of Housing, Urban and Regional Affairs and others. In the 1980s, the SAFC shifted its focus to television production. It relocated to a disused Philips factory in

Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Great ...

in the north-west suburbs of

. Jock Bair was head of drama.Albert Moran, ''Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series'', AFTRS 1993 p 548-550 In 1994 its role changed, as it ceased producing films and became the government’s central agency to provide assistance to independent film makers. The television mini-series ''

The Battlers ''The Battlers'' is a 1994 Australian mini series about two drifters during the Great Depression, based on the novel of the same name by Kylie Tennant.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p176 C ...

'' was the last production produced by the SAFC. As the first state film corporation in Australia, the success of its business model led other state governments to establish similar bodies charged with the promotion of film production and fostering industry development. Since then, it has focused on supporting (including providing funding) and facilitating the production of films and television in South Australia, as well as making production and post-production facilities available.

21st century

SAFC facilitated the production of the

Nine Network The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television ne ...

program ''

McLeod's Daughters ''McLeod's Daughters'' is an Australian drama television series created by Posie Graeme-Evans and Caroline Stanton for the Nine Network, which aired from 8 August 2001, to 31 January 2009, lasting List of McLeod's Daughters episodes, eight seas ...

'' (2001-2009), which was filmed on location in rural South Australia.

2008: relocation

In 2008, SA Premier and Arts Minister

Mike Rann Michael David Rann, , (born 5 January 1953) is an Australian former politician who was the 44th premier of South Australia from 2002 to 2011. He was later Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2014, and Australian am ...

secured cabinet approval from the

to fund the relocation of the SAFC at a cost of A$43 million. The project included new sound stages and mixing suites, as well as a major refurbishment of an historic 19th-century building as a high-tech film hub. The Corporation moved its headquarters to Glenside, an inner eastern suburb of Adelaide, sharing the historic former administration building of Glenside Hospital with film production company Closer Productions. The new Adelaide Studios were opened by Rann on 20 October 2011.

2009–2012: FilmLab

FilmLab was a low-budget

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

initiative created in 2008, with a budget of to be allocated to the production of eight low-budget feature films over four years, from initial concept through to delivery and marketing of the films. In May 2009 the four successful teams were announced, chosen from a shortlist of 14:

Sophie Hyde Sophie Hyde is an Australian film director, writer and producer based in Adelaide, South Australia. She is co-founder of Closer Productions and known for her award-winning debut fiction film, '' 52 Tuesdays'' (2013) and the comedy drama ''Anim ...

, Bryan Mason and Matt Cormack of Closer Productions; Hugh Nguyen and Eddie White of the People's Republic of Animation; Julie Ryan of Cyan Films with Matthew Bate of Plexus Films; and Ashlee Page and Sonya Humphrey of Sacred Cow Films. The initiative ran until 2012, and was credited with launching the careers of at least 12 filmmakers, and also helped to bring to fruition critically-acclaimed films including ''

Shut Up Little Man ''Shut Up, Little Man!'' is the title of audio vérité recordings of two argumentative and violent alcoholics, Peter J. Haskett and Raymond Huffman in San Francisco. '' Bananafish'' magazine arranged for a commercial release of the tapes in 1992. ...

'', '' 52 Tuesdays'' and ''

The Infinite Man ''The Infinite Man'' is a science fiction novel written by Daniel F. Galouye and published in April 1973 by Bantam Books. Plot A research project, Project Genesis, searches for evidence confirming the Steady State Theory of continuous creati ...

''.

2017–present

In 2017, the Corporation announced that a new TV Series called "Soccer Swap" was a co-production with Australia's 57 Films and China’s Qingdao TV. Also in 2017, The Heysen Hicks Set Construction Studio, so named in honour of filmmakers Scott Hicks and his wife , was opened.

James Wan James Wan (born 26 February 1977) is an Australian director, producer, screenwriter and comic book writer. He has primarily worked in the horror genre as the co-creator of the '' Saw'' and ''Insidious'' franchises and the creator of The Conjurin ...

reboot In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is phys ...

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

franchise '' Mortal Kombat'' as a feature film was the largest film production in the state's history. In May 2019, it was announced that the film had entered pre-production and would be shot in South Australia, before being released in April 2021. In August 2019,

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especiall ...

Courtney Gibson resigned, returning to Sydney 15 months after taking up the role. A few weeks later, the government confirmed the appointment of South Australian producer Kate Croser, who has had a long career in Australian film and television. Amanda Duthie, who in late 2018 left her post at the

Adelaide Film Festival The Adelaide Film Festival (AFF, formerly ADLFF) is film festival usually held for two weeks in mid-October in cinemas in Adelaide, South Australia. Originally presented biennially in March from 2003, since 2013 AFF has been held in Octobe ...

and became Head of Production, Development, Attraction and Studios, also serving as acting CEO of SAFC after Gibson's departure, resigned her position to return to Sydney as of 22 November 2019.

Governance and funding

The Corporation was responsible to the state Minister for the Arts until March 2018, then reported to the Premier Steven Marshall until July that year, when it was transferred to the Department of Innovation and Skills. From 1996 it received funding via

Arts SA Arts South Australia (previously Arts SA) was responsible for managing the South Australian Government's funding for the arts and cultural heritage from about 1996 until late 2018, when it was progressively dismantled, a process complete by early ...

(later Arts South Australia), until that body's disbandment by the Marshall government in late 2018. In June 2019, the state government announced a huge boost to funding of the film industry, with a one-off awarded to the SAFC’s Screen Production Investment Fund. ''Mortal Kombat'' is a major recipient.

Current strategies and projects

First Nations Screen Strategy 2020–2025

The First Nations Screen Strategy 2020–2025 was launched in November 2020, in partnership with Channel 44. The First Nations Advisory Committee comprises Elaine Crombie,

Natasha Wanganeen Natasha Wanganeen is an Aboriginal Australian actress. She is known for her starring role in the 2002 feature film ''Rabbit Proof Fence'', aged 15, and numerous television roles. Her debut film as co-writer and co-producer is the 2022 short fil ...

, Major Moogy Sumner, Dennis Stokes, and John Harvey.

Film Lab: New Voices

"Film Lab: New Voices" is an initiative launched in 2021, delivered by the SAFC and the

(AFF), in collaboration with Mercury CX, with the delivery of the development phase of the inaugural round assisted by

Screen Australia Screen Australia is the Australian Federal Government's key funding body for the Australian screen production industry, created under the ''Screen Australia Act 2008''. From 1 July 2008 Screen Australia took over the functions of its predecess ...

. It enables teams of emerging filmmakers to develop a low-budget

over a 12-month period, mentored by an experienced story developer, with one team chosen for funding to complete the making of their film ready for the next AFF. At least one member of each team must be from a group under-represented in the SA film industry, including filmmakers who are women;

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: ** First Nat ...

; Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD); Deaf and disabled; LGBTQIA+; and/or who live in regional and remote parts of the state. In the inaugural round, 49 teams submitted 63 projects, and three teams were selected for further development of their projects over an 11-month period. Funding of () was provided by the SAFC and AFF for the winning team, comprising director Matt Vesely (director), Lucy Campbell (scriptwriter) and Bettina Hamilton (producer), to bring their film ''

Monolith A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains. For instance, Savandurga mountain is a monolith mountain in India. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often ma ...

'' to the 2022 AFF. The other two teams continue to be developed and will seek funding to bring their projects to completion. The second round opened in August 2021, with seven projects shortlisted in February 2022 and the three successful teams eligible for further development to be announced in March 2022. To support the SAFC First Nations Screen Strategy (2020-2025), one of the three teams selected for development will have at least two members identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. The winning film will be shown at the AFF in 2024.

Influence on Australian filmmaking

The Corporation's activities contributed to the rebuilding process undertaken by Australia's film industry, with other states set up similar bodies after SAFC's establishment. Besides its productions that had critical and commercial success in the 1970s, the Corporation's productions helped to launch the careers of many artists, including

Peter Weir Peter Lindsay Weir ( ; born August 21, 1944) is a retired Australian film director. He's known for directing films crossing various genres over forty years with films such as '' Picnic at Hanging Rock'' (1975), '' Gallipoli'' (1981), ''Witnes ...

, Jack Thompson, Scott Hicks,

Rolf de Heer Rolf de Heer (born 4 May 1951) is a Dutch Australian film director. De Heer was born in Heemskerk in the Netherlands but migrated to Sydney when he was eight years old.

, Mario Andreacchio,

Bryan Brown Bryan Neathway Brown AM (born 23 June 1947) is an Australian actor. He has performed in over eighty film and television projects since the late 1970s, both in his native Australia and abroad. Notable films include '' Breaker Morant'' (1980), ...

Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. He is known for his eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy Award, a Primetime Em ...

and

Bruce Beresford Bruce Beresford (; born 16 August 1940) is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 50-year career, both locally and internationally in the United States. Beresford's notable films he has directed include '' B ...

. The Adelaide Studios have provided facilities for

s such as '' The Babadook'', '' Hotel Mumbai'', '' Storm Boy'', '' I Am Mother'' and '' Mortal Kombat'', as well as many

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...

Major productions

Works listed below can be found via the SAFC "Made in SA Showcase" web page.

SAFC as producer

*'' Sunday Too Far Away'' (1975) *'' Picnic at Hanging Rock'' (1975) (co-production with McElroy & McElroy) *''Smokes and Lollies'' (1975) (short documentary) *'' Storm Boy'' (1976) *'' The Fourth Wish'' (1976) *''

The Last Wave ''The Last Wave'' (also released, in the US, as ''Black Rain'') is a 1977 Australian mystery drama film directed by Peter Weir.''Variety'' film review; 16 November 1977, p. 21. It is about a white solicitor in Sydney whose seemingly normal life ...

'' (1977) (co-production with McElroy & McElroy) *'' Blue Fin'' (1978) (co-production with McElroy & McElroy) *''

The Irishman ''The Irishman'' (subtitled onscreen as ''I Heard You Paint Houses'') is a 2019 American epic gangster film directed and produced by Martin Scorsese and written by Steven Zaillian, based on the 2004 nonfiction book '' I Heard You Paint Hous ...

'' (1978) (co-production with Forest Home Films) *'' Money Movers'' (1978) *'' The Sound of Love'' (1978) (TV movie) *''

Weekend of Shadows ''Weekend of Shadows'' is a 1978 film directed by Tom Jeffrey and starring John Waters. Premise In the 1930s, a farmer's wife in a small town is murdered. Suspicion falls on a Polish labourer and a posse is formed to catch him. Cast * John Wa ...

'' (1978) *'' Dawn!'' (1979) *''

Harvest of Hate ''Harvest of Hate'' is a 1978 Australian film made for TV about Arab terrorists operating in South Australia. Plot A young couple is captured by Arab terrorists in the Simpson Desert. Production The film was shot over three weeks in South Austr ...

'' (1979 TV movie) *'' The Plumber'' (1979) (TV movie) *''

Breaker Morant Harry "The Breaker" Harbord Morant (born Edwin Henry Murrant, 9 December 1864 – 27 February 1902), more popularly known as Breaker Morant, was an Anglo-Australian drover, horseman, bush poet, military officer, and war criminal who was con ...

'' (1980) *'' The Club'' (1980) *'' Pacific Banana'' (1981) *'' The Survivor'' (1981) (Co-production) *'' Freedom'' (1982) *''Teenage'' (1982) *''

Sara Dane ''Sara Dane'' is a 1982 Australian television miniseries about a woman transported from England to Australia for a crime she did not commit.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p231 Original novel ...

'' (1982) (TV mini-series) *'' For the Term of His Natural Life'' (1983) (TV mini-series) *''

Under Capricorn ''Under Capricorn'' is a 1949 British historical thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock about a couple in Australia who started out as lady and stable boy in Ireland, and who are now bound together by a horrible secret. The film is based on ...

'' (1983) (TV mini-series) *'' The Fire in the Stone'' (1984) (TV movie) *'' Robbery Under Arms'' (1985) (Feature film and mini-series) *'' Playing Beatie Bow'' (1986) *'' Run Chrissie Run!'' (TV) (1986) (Video) *'' The Shiralee'' (TV) (1987 TV movie) *''

Sebastian and the Sparrow ''Sebastian and the Sparrow'' is a 1988 Australian film directed by Scott Hicks.David Stratton, ''The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry'', Pan MacMillan, 1990 p355-356 Hicks says he wanted to make the film one he c ...

'' (1988) *'' Ultraman: Towards the Future'' (co-production with Japan's

Tsuburaya Productions is a Japanese special effects studio founded in 1963 by special effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya and was run by his family, until October 2007, when the family sold the company to advertising agency TYO Inc. The studio is best known for producin ...

) (1990) *'' Finders Keepers'' (1991 TV series) *'' Bad Boy Bubby'' (1993) *'' Hammers Over the Anvil'' (1993) *''

'' (1994) (TV mini-series)

SAFC as production facilitator

*'' Golden Fiddles'' (1994) (TV mini-series) *'' The Life of Harry Dare'' (1995) *'' Napoleon'' (1995) *''

Shine Shine may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Shine'' (film), a 1996 Australian film based on the life of David Helfgott, a pianist * Shine, a fictional character in the American animated TV series ''Shimmer and Shine'' Lite ...

'' (1996) *'' Sun on the Stubble'' (1996) (TV mini-series) *'' Kiss or Kill'' (1997) *'' Dance Me to My Song'' (1998) *'' The Fairies'' (1998, 2000 (Vintage VHS) - 2005, 2007, 2009 (TV series)) *''

'' (2001 - 2009) (TV series) *'' The Old Man Who Read Love Stories'' (2001) *''

Australian Rules Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by ...

'' (2002) *''

Rabbit-Proof Fence The State Barrier Fence of Western Australia, formerly known as the Rabbit-Proof Fence, the State Vermin Fence, and the Emu Fence, is a pest-exclusion fence constructed between 1901 and 1907 to keep rabbits, and other agricultural pests from t ...

'' (2002) *''

The Honourable Wally Norman ''The Honourable Wally Norman'' is a 2003 Australian comedy film directed by Ted Emery. It stars Kevin Harrington, Shaun Micallef, and Greig Pickhaver. It was filmed primarily in South Australia and was nominated for two AFI awards. Plot The ...

'' (2003) *'' Alexandra's Project'' (2003) *'' Thunderstruck'' (2004) *''

Deck Dogz ''Deck Dogz'' is a 2005 Australian skater film, written and directed by Steve Pasvolsky and starring Sean Kennedy, Ho Thi Lu and Richard Wilson with a guest appearance by Tony Hawk. It was filmed in and around Adelaide and Sydney, Australia ...

'' (2005) *'' Look Both Ways'' (2005) *''

Wolf Creek Wolf Creek may refer to: Bodies of water Missouri * Wolf Creek (Beaver Creek tributary) * Wolf Creek (Cane Creek tributary) * Wolf Creek (Cave Creek tributary) * Wolf Creek (Elkhorn Creek tributary) * Wolf Creek (South Grand River tributary) * W ...

'' (2005) *'' The Caterpillar Wish'' (2006) *'' Like Minds'' (2006) *'' Opal Dream'' (2006) *'' Ten Canoes'' (2006) *'' December Boys'' (2007) *''

Lucky Miles ''Lucky Miles'' is a 2007 Australian drama feature film based on several true stories involving people entering Western Australia by boat in order to seek asylum. Its director was Michael James Rowland and its producers were Jo Dyer and Lesley D ...

'' (2007) *''

Rain Shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carri ...

'' (2007) (TV series) *'' Beautiful'' (2009) * '' Sweet Country'' (2017)

References

External links

* {{official, https://www.safilm.com.au/
South Australian Film Corporation
at the

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

Film organisations in Australia Film production companies of Australia Arts in South Australia Government agencies of South Australia Culture of Adelaide Films shot in Adelaide APRA Award winners Arts organizations established in 1973 1973 establishments in Australia