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Enhance your potential with a bit of inspiration! Be motivated by Springboard Shorts, a curated screening series of award-winning film from South Australia, Australia, and around the world. With a selection that's picked up prizes at Cannes, AACTA, Flickerfest, SXSW, and of course the coveted SASA, this is an entertaining supplement to the expert advice, practical workshops, and networking opportunities Springboard delivers.


Mercury CX Members and Springboard Registrants attend free, general admission is $5. Bring a friend and expand your screen maker circle, discuss the short form brilliance, and put your own production into action.

Award-Winning Aussie Shorts | 29 March, 6pm


All These Creatures (Charles Williams, 2018) — A child unravels the mysteries of his father, a man who's changed, who has an unknown swarm infest his mind. Awarded the Short Film Palme d'Or at Cannes 2018.


The Moogai (Jon Bell, 2020) — A house is haunted by the spirits of the past in this indigenous psychological horror. Awarded the SXSW Grand Jury Award for Midnight Short 2021.


Roborovski (Tilda Cobham-Hervey & Dev Patel, 2021) — Overlooked at the pet store, caught in a wheel, a hamster seethes with resentment until his homicidal lust explodes! Winner of Best Australian Short Animation at Flickerfest 2021.


What Was It Like? (Genevieve Clay-Smith, 2021) — This profound documentary sees eight adults with intellectual disability interview their parents about their childhood and a youth spent in medical and educational institutions. Documentary winner WorldFest Houston 2021.


Chicken (Alana Hicks, 2019) — Her migrant mother has been overcharged at the local shops, and it's up to Barbara to fix it, all at risk of missing The Simpsons. Winner Best Direction in an Australian Short Film, Flickerfest 2020.


The Egg (Jane Cho, 2019) — Daydreaming away, a young girl imagines how sweet it'd be to steal an Easter Egg from her babysitter's fridge. Awarded an AACTA for Best Short Film, 2019.



Lost & Found (Andrew Goldsmith & Bradley Slabe, 2018) — A woollen stop-motion, soft-toy saga that'll pull at your heartstrings. AACTA Awarded, AWG Awarded, SFF Awarded, Annie Nominated.



Doug the Human (Gary Hamaguchi, 2019) — After an alien kidnapping, a human is kept as an intergalactic pet. Winner Best Indigenous Short Film CinefestOZ 2020.



Award-Winning International Shorts | 19 April, 6pm


Liberty (Faren Humes, 2018) — Members of a Black, Miami community deal with the threat of gentrification and the weight of grief, as two women find their way back to each other. Wins at AFI Fest, Berlinale, SXSW and more.


Sister (Siqi Song, 2018) — A man remembers his kid sister in 90s China, wandering what his life could've been had things gone differently. Academy Award Nominated for Best Animated Short 2020, with a dozen additional awards.


Dieorama (Kevin Staake, 2019) — Visiting morgues and scoping out crime scenes, a woman turns her grisly voyeurism into immaculately crafted, blood-splattered miniatures. Nominated for Best Documentary Short at SXSW 2020.


Boxed (Wanjiru Njendu, 2018) — A fictionalised short based on the terrifying true story of an enslaved man's attempt to mail himself to freedom. Picked up awards at Oregon Cinema Arts Film Festival, Phoenix Film Festival Melbourne, and the Hague Global Cinema Festival.


Please Hold (KD Davilla, 2020) — When justice is automated, one man's life is suddenly and inexplicably derailed, without explanation. Oscar nominated for Best Live Action Short 2022.


Bambirak (Zamarin Wahdat, 2020) — During his first day on the job in a new country, an Afghan refugee's 8-year-old daughter smuggles herself in his van for an unexpected Bring Your Daughter to Work Day. Winner of the Short Film Jury Award, International Fiction at Sundance Film Festival 2021.


Broken Orchestra (Charlie Tyrell, 2019) — When a public school district's music program falls to ruins, the community springs into action to get these broken instruments into playing-shape. Nominated at Sundance and SXSW, wins at Florida, Cleveland and Philadelphia Film Festivals 2019.


Passage (Asavari Kumar, 2019) — The journey of immigration and the illusion of the American Dream are explored in this well-awarded animated film. Los Angeles Animation Festival winner 2020.


Emergency (Carey Williams, 2017) — Faced with an emergency, a group of Black and Latino friends weigh up the cost of calling the police. Winner of Short Filmmaking Award at Sundance 2018; adapted into a feature which had its premiere at Sundance 2022.



SASA Award-Wining Shorts | 3 May 6pm


The Recordist (Indianna Bell, Josiah Allen, 2020) — A film crew's sound recordist surreptitiously spies on his fellow crew members, catching a young actress in an affair and using her recordings to blackmail her. A SASA-tie for Best Drama plus Best Performance (Brendan Rock) and, appropriately, Best Sound Design 2021.


The Better Angels (Michael Cusack, 2021) — Brilliant animation holds this tale of a war-torn escape, and the discovery of an abandoned building keeping untold stories. Took home a SASA for Best Animation, and nominated for Best Directing.


My Ba (Alice Yang, 2021) — Remarkable student filmmaking in this documentary portrayal of a migrant father's hoarding habits and unending hope. A Best Documentary SASA winner, and Best Student Production nominee.


Welcome to Iron Knob (Dave Wade, 2013) — After a young boy accidentally shoots a stranger with his fathers gun, it's left to his town to cover it up and get back to normal. SASA Winner for Best Film and Best Comedy.


Unboxed (Sam Matthews, 2018) — Gender meets art in this look at the lives of gender-diverse individuals and the stories they have to tell. Awarded SASA Grand Jury Prize plus Best Web Series.


The Still Point (Mira Soulio, 2017) — An exploration of the life of one of Australia's remarkable photographers, Robert McFarlane, and his work documenting the lives of pioneering Indigenous activists. SASA Grand Jury Prize Winner!



Dead Centre (Benno Thiel, 2021) — Hoping to rekindle their connection, a sister searches for her brother but finds in his stead an outback cult. Awarded last year's Best Web Series prize.