South Australian Film Corporation

The South Australian Film Corporation was founded as a production company in 1972,[1] established under the South Australian Film Corporation Act by the Dunstan government.[2][3] It was intended “to stimulate and encourage the formation and continued development of the South Australian film and television industry”.[4] 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.[5]

From its genesis, the SAFC collaborated with various government departments and agencies in the production of short documentaries and educational films.[6] These included co-productions with the South Australian Department of Agriculture and Fisheries,[7][8] Department of Marine & Harbors,[9] the Education Department,[10] the Office of Fair Trading,[11] the Department of Housing, Urban and Regional Affairs[12] and others.

In the 1980s, the SAFC shifted its focus to television production. It relocated to a disused Philips factory in Hendon in the north-west suburbs of Adelaide. Jock Bair was head of drama.[13][14]

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 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.[4] 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.[4][15]

SAFC facilitated the production of the Nine Network program McLeod's Daughters (2001-2009), which was filmed on location in rural South Australia.[16]

In 2008, SA Premier and Arts Minister Mike Rann secured cabinet approval from the South Australian Government to fund the relocation of the SAFC[17] at a cost of A$43 million.[18] 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.[19]

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.[20]

James Wan's reboot of video game franchise Mortal Kombat as a feature film will be the largest film production in the state’s history.[21] In May 2019, it was announced that the film series' reboot had entered pre-production and will be shot in South Australia,[22] to be released on 5 March 2021.[23]

In August 2019, CEO 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.[24]

Amanda Duthie, who in late 2018 left her post at the Adelaide Film Festival 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.[25]