Film & TV

Sara West’s “Mutt” Leads The Winners At The 20th South Australian Screen Awards

On Friday 20 April the South Australian screen industry came together at the 20th annual South Australian Screen Awards, to celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of its peers.

On Friday 20 April the South Australian screen industry came together at the 20th annual South Australian Screen Awards, to celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of its peers.

Adelaide Film Festival’s Mat Kesting hosted the sold out Gala event.

2018’s big winner is Sara West’s critically acclaimed short film Mutt, which picked up four awards: Best Directing (Sara West), Best Male Performance (Oscar Redding), Best Female Performance (Jordan Cowan), and Best Cinematography, which went to Maxx Corkindale, who won the same award last year for his work on Smashed.

Mutt’s producer Jodie Kirkbride picked up the gong for Emerging Producer, while actor/producer Jordan Cowan took home the Carclew Young Filmmaker Award. Adding to the night was the inaugural presentation of theMercury Award, dedicated to celebrating one individual’s outstanding achievement and contribution to the South Australian film industry.

The Flinders University sponsored award, which includes a $3000 cash prize, was presented to esteemed Cinematographer Ernie Clark ACS.Clark started his film career in Melbourne as a 17-year-old, working in the Camera Department in 1971. In 1986 Ernie shot a miniseries for the South Australian Film Corporation, and Adelaide has been his home ever since. Some of the notable Film and TV projects Clark has worked on include The Water Diviner, Wolf Creek 2, Deadline Gallipoli, and Red Dog.

In 2006, Clark was inducted into the Australian Cinematography’s Society (ACS) and has been the President of the SA branch of the ACS since 2008.

The Media Resource Centre and Mercury Cinema’s Director, Gail Kovatseff, says that it’s a true privilege to honour Ernie publicly at the awards.

“The addition of the Mercury Award to the SASAs is something that we have wanted for many years and it’s great to be able to acknowledge such a hardworking and vital member of the South Australian Film industry in Ernie, who in addition to his illustrious career, is an invaluable mentor to the next generation of South Australian filmmakers,” said Ms, Gail Kovatseff.

“The 2018 awards have highlighted and showcased just a fraction of the exciting established and emerging talent that the South Australian film industry has to offer. Every year the competition grows and we are continuously seeing new faces entering the industry as it expands in line with the dominance of the screen in the global cultural landscape. Of course, this growth means greater competition in the awards and the level of work being presented is amongst the best in the country.”

More News

To Top