Backed by respected South Australian producer Bettina Hamilton, the fund is the first of its kind in the state, offering financial support to ensure safer, more inclusive sets for emerging filmmakers. With many early-career film projects often operating on tight budgets, this initiative seeks to remove one of the most common barriers to implementing robust health and safety practices.
The idea was brought to life by Hamilton, founder of Black Cat White Rabbit Productions. Drawing on years of experience as both a Producer and Line Producer, she recognised a clear gap in resources available for safety on short film sets.
Short films often have very limited resources and are frequently made by cast and crew in the early stages of their careers. This can make it challenging for producers to fully understand and address the health and safety needs of their projects,” Hamilton explains.
“The intention of the Hamilton Health & Safety Fund is to assist emerging filmmakers to fulfil these requirements by providing targeted funding specifically for this purpose—ultimately making short film production safer for everyone involved.”
The initiative is supported by Black Cat White Rabbit Productions, the Hanlon Larsen Screen Fellowship, and is seeking additional private backers to extend its impact.
Starting this month, the fund will provide $8,000 annually over a three-year period, with grants of up to $1,000 per project available exclusively to Mercury subscribers. Funding can go towards hiring Safety Supervisors, On-Set Nurses, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), First Aid Kits and training, Intimacy Coordinators, Access Coordinators and more.
Hamilton hopes this fund will become a long-term feature of the state’s screen industry.
It is my hope that this initiative will also lead to improved wellbeing outcomes for the South Australian film industry over time, with our up-and-coming filmmakers already thinking about and implementing better health and safety practices across all stages of production.
The Mercury’s General Manager, Sarah Lancaster, says the partnership is a natural fit.
“We are proud to support this important initiative and to manage the Hamilton Health & Safety Fund through The Mercury,” says Lancaster.
“Encouraging emerging filmmakers to prioritise health, wellbeing, and safety from the earliest stages of project development represents a significant step forward in skills development across the sector.
“Providing targeted funding for on-set safety activities will not only improve conditions during production but also strengthen career readiness. We’re equally excited to expand the benefits of The Mercury’s subscription model, delivering even greater value to our members through access to these new opportunities.”
Expressions of interest are now open, and the Hamilton Health & Safety Fund will operate as a rolling fund. Full guidelines and EOI forms are available on The Mercury website.
Image: Ian Routledge.
For more information: themercury.org.au
