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| products = Film industry support
| services = [[movie theater|Cinema]], hosting events and awards, funding emerging filmmakers' projects
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During the [[COVID-19 pandemic in South Australia]], the cinema was forced to close for a while from March 2020. During this time, renovations were undertaken, with the [[foyer]] transformed into a lounge bar. The organisation was rebranded Mercury CX and a new website launched.<ref name=ar>{{cite book| title=2020 Annual Report |date=2021| publisher=Mercury CX}}</ref>
The organisation has struggled to remain solvent, and has relied heavily on [[public funding]] by the state government. In 2022 the [[South Australian Government]] refused a request for $700,000 to $1.2 million in annual funding, but months later offered $50,000 to help the organisation find a way to keep afloat. A new board started its term on 1 December, led by former [[South Australian Film Corporation]] chair [[Peter Hanlon (producer)|Peter Hanlon]] and producer [[Kirsty Stark]], and including producers [[Lisa Scott]] of [[Highview Productions]] and [[Rebecca Summerton]] of [[Closer Productions]].<ref name=newboard2022>{{cite web | last=Kelsall | first=Thomas | title=New Mercury Cinema board gets $50k funding lifeline | website=[[InDaily]] | date=13 December 2022 | url=https://indaily.com.au/news/2022/12/13/new-mercury-cinema-board-gets-50k-funding-lifeline/ | access-date=13 December 2022}}</ref>
==Governance and funding==
Mercury CX is a membership-based [[Voluntary association#Australia|association]], which holds [[charitable status]]. It has a constitution and a [[board of directors]] to oversee its management.<ref name=ar/>
Since
The organisation was in the past funded by [[Screen Australia]]. {{as of|May 2022}} it receives {{AUD|250,000}} annually from the [[South Australian Film Corporation]] specifically to support talent development in the [[Australian film industry]]. The [[Marshall government]] gave emergency funding of {{AUD|300,000}} in September 2021 to support ongoing operations. In 2022 Mercury CX submitted a funding request for an ongoing [[operating budget]] of {{AUD|700,000}} to {{AUD|1.2 million}}, but it was refused by the newly-elected [[South Australian government]] under [[Peter Malinauskas]], based on a report prepared by the Marshall government. At the AGM on 31 May 2022, members voted unanimously to oppose closing down the organisation.<ref name="Kelsall 2022">{{cite web | last=Kelsall | first=Thomas | title=Mercury Cinema in crisis after funding plea knocked back | website=InDaily | date=2 June 2022 | url=https://indaily.com.au/news/local/2022/06/02/mercury-cinema-in-crisis-after-funding-plea-knocked-back/ | access-date=4 June 2022}}</ref> CEO Slaninka said that extra funding was need to help the cinema recover from the effects of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in South Australia]],<ref>{{cite web | last=Winter | first=Caroline | title=SA government says Mercury Cinema doesn't require more funding | website=[[ABC Radio Adelaide]]| date=3 June 2022 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/adelaide/programs/mornings/mercury-cinema-funding-unlikely/13914082 | access-date=4 June 2022| format=Audio}}</ref> and that a "Save the Mercury" campaign to raise funds would be launched.<ref name="Kelsall 2022"/>
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