ELIGIBILTY CRITERIA
1. The applicant must own the copyright of the project or have written authorisation from the copyright holder to enter the SASAs. For film entries the applicant is usually deemed to be the Producer or Director. For games entries, a Director of the relevant production company, the Producer or the Lead Game Designer may apply depending on who is authorised to deal in the rights of the project. Should the copyright holder be under 18, a parent or guardian must submit on their behalf.
2. To be eligible for nomination, the nominee must have been a resident of South Australia for at least six months prior to 1 January 2021. In all categories, except Best New First Nations Talent at least two of the 'above-the-line' key creatives (e.g. Writer, Director or Producer) must have been residents of South Australia for at least 12 months prior to 1 January 2021. Nominated actors may be non-SA residents.
3. Best New First Nations Talent is open to First Nations above the line and below the line crew roles and does not need to be linked to a SASA eligible project. Entry to this award are free. Nominees must Identify as Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander, Be a South Australian resident and 18+, Apply as an individual only, have been part of a film with the majority of the content being First Nations based within the last 6 years. All film genres and lengths are eligible including web series, short films, documentaries, feature films, TV series and branded content (including Reconciliation and Welcome to Country films). These do not have to be broadcast or theatrically released production credits and attachment roles are valid.
4. Entries that have been previously submitted to SASAs are ineligible.
5. Projects running over 30 minutes will not be accepted.
6. A web series is defined as a series of narrative episodes (fiction or factual) specifically released online or via mobile platform (eg. Tik Tok, Snapchat). To be eligible for Craft and Genre awards, nominated episodes must be no longer than 30 minutes. Up to two episodes of a series only shall be accepted.
7. A game includes any publicly accessible electronic game released online, on a mobile platform such as iOS, on a console platform or PC.
8. All film, web series and music video entries must have been completed after 1 January 2020. Games entries must have been released to the public after 1 January 2020.
9. Works-in-progress, corporate, educational or promotional works are not eligible.
10. For the purpose of the Grand Jury Prize, the nominee is deemed to be the Producer.
11. All entries must be submitted online via the Mercury CX entry form following the instructions of the application form only and submitted by the published deadline.
12. Digital links must be H.264 digital copies in either .mov or .mp4 file format. The link must be able to be downloaded and can be password protected.
13. The entrant must include 3-5 high quality production stills in .jpg or .tiff for publicity purposes.
14. A 10-15 second clip will be required for nominated film or game. These will be used at the ceremony if you are nominated and must be provided upon request.
15. To be considered in the Best Screenplay category, the entrant will be required to upload a PDF of the nominated screenplay to Mercury CX.
16. Entries for the Best Web Series must include links for up to TWO episodes, along with the site URL and any additional .html or .SWF files for online projects.
17. Entries for Best Game must provide a link to a playable demo, whether it is a downloadable file, URL, or an invite/promo code for a gaming platform such as Steam, App Store etc.
18. Incomplete entries will be deemed ineligible. It is the applicant's responsibility to investigate eligibility and provide correct information for the Individual Awards. If check boxes are unmarked, relevant individuals will be considered ineligible for nomination. No refunds will be given.
19. Applicants may enter more than one project however there must be ONE online entry form per project submitted, and separate links for each work entered. Entry fees are payable for each submission.
20. Mercury CX is granted permission to use the nominee's name, image and up to 60 seconds of the project for publicity or promotional purposes.
21. Mercury CX reserves the right to be the final judge of eligibility in regard to any Work and/or the Nominee submitted to the SASAs.
22. Mercury CX presides over a transparent and impartial judging process comprised of national screen industry professionals. The SASA jury's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
23. For further information please contact Diana Ward Programs Manager at Mercury CX, hello@mercurycx.org or call 8410 0979.
Declaration
When completing the form you will be required to declare the following:
I/we have read the competition guidelines and agree to the entry conditions. I/we certify that the information contained in this entry form is complete and correct. I/we own the production being submitted with this entry form or am/are authorised in writing by the copyright owner of the film to submit this entry. I/we certify that all rights and clearances with regard to third parties connected with the production, including but not limited to, third-party media, sound recordings and performances, have been obtained. I/we warrant that all rights necessary to exhibit or broadcast the production in any media in whole, or in part, within the context of the SA Screen Awards are transferred to Mercury CX and its assignees. I/we understand that by entering the film I/we grant the Mercury CX permission to include the film on a SASA Best of DVD compilation. I/we hereby indemnify the Mercury CX from any loss or damage resulting from inaccurate, misleading or false declarations. I/we agree that the Mercury CX will not be held responsible for technical damage, fire, destruction, loss or theft of the materials while the materials are in the possession of the Mercury CX.