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Ian Darling

Ian Darling

Production

Biography

Ian Darling is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. He is Executive Director of Shark Island Institute and Chair of Shark Island Foundation. His Director and Producer credits for Shark Island Productions include THE VALLEY, THE POOL, THE TWINS, THE FINAL QUARTER, PAUL KELLY — STORIES OF ME, THE OASIS, SUZY & THE SIMPLE MAN, IN THE COMPANY OF ACTORS, ALONE ACROSS AUSTRALIA, WOODSTOCK FOR CAPITALISTS, POLLY & ME, THE COMEDIAN and MORNING MR GERREY. He was also a Producer on THE DEPARTMENT, LIFE AFTER THE OASIS, WALL BOY and STORIES FROM THE INSIDE, and an Executive Producer of FOLKTALES, MOTHERS OF CHIBOK, FLY, WASH MY SOUL IN THE RIVER’S FLOW, PAPER AND GLUE, ALLEN V. FARROW, ON THE RECORD, 2040, THE FOURTH ESTATE, THE BLEEDING EDGE, UNREST, INVENTING TOMORROW and HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD. Ian Darling is currently directing and producing the feature documentary CONFESSIONS OF A WAR PHOTOGRAPHER. He received the Byron Kennedy Award for innovation and the relentless pursuit of excellence at the 2018 AACTA Awards. Ian received the AFI/AACTA Award for Best Direction in a Documentary, has twice been a Walkley Awards Finalist, a winner of two Film Critics Award, and nominated for numerous Australian Directors Guild, AFI/AACTA, and IF awards. He is director and producer of SHARK ISLAND SESSIONS, a new series of filmed conversations and music performances in the Old Store at Kangaroo Valley. He co-wrote and acted in the award-winning play THE TWINS, a two-hander with comedian Greg Fleet. In 2021 the play was performed over 75 shows in Adelaide, Sydney, Kangaroo Valley, Canberra and Melbourne. His photographs have been finalists in the National Photographic Portrait Prize, Head On Portrait Prize, Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize, and the Sydney Life Photography Prize. He presented his first solo exhibition of 50 portraits as part of the Head On Photo Festival in November 2025. Ian Darling was Founder (and former Chair) of Documentary Australia Foundation, and Founder of Good Pitch Australia. He was a Member of the Impact Partners Advisory Board in New York, a former Chair of Sydney Theatre Company and STC Foundation, and a Director of National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).

Known For

Allen v. Farrow
6.2

The story of one Hollywood's most notorious and public scandals: the accusation of sexual abuse against Woody Allen involving Dylan, his then 7-year-old daughter with Mia Farrow; their subsequent custody trial, the revelation of Allen’s relationship with Farrow’s daughter, Soon-Yi; and the controversial aftermath in the years that followed.

Allen v. Farrow

2021
Folktales
6.7

On the precipice of adulthood, teenagers converge at a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway. Dropped at the edge of the world, they must rely on only themselves, one another, and a loyal pack of sled dogs as they all grow in unexpected directions.

Folktales

2025
Fly
7.0

Over seven years, three couples involved in the extreme sport of BASE jumping test the limits of love and life itself. Risking everything for the thrill of the jump, their dedication is put to the ultimate test.

Fly

2024
Unrest
6.9

When Harvard PhD student Jennifer Brea is struck down at 28 by a fever that leaves her bedridden, doctors tell her it’s "all in her head." Determined to live, she sets out on a virtual journey to document her story—and four other families' stories—fighting a disease medicine forgot.

Unrest

2017
Athlete A
7.5

Follow the Indianapolis Star reporters that broke the story about USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse and hear from gymnasts.

Athlete A

2020
2040
6.7

A three year self-described labour of love, 2040 takes the form of a visual letter from the filmmaker to his four-year-old daughter Velvet, showing her what the year 2040 could look like “if we simply embraced the best solutions that exist today.”

2040

2019
Last Cab to Darwin
6.8

Rex is a loner, and when he's told he doesn't have long to live, he embarks on an epic drive through the Australian outback from Broken Hill to Darwin to die on his own terms; but his journey reveals to him that before you can end your life, you have to live it, and to live it, you've got to share it.

Last Cab to Darwin

2015
On the Record
6.4

The haunting story of music executive Drew Dixon as she grapples with her decision to become one of the first women of color, in the wake of #MeToo, to come forward and publicly accuse hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct. A gripping and profound examination of race, gender, intersectionality, and the toll sexual abuse takes on survivors and on society at large.

On the Record

2020
Paper & Glue
7.3

A documentary following JR's artwork giving a global voice to everyday people.

Paper & Glue

2021
In the Company of Actors
N/A

Within the world of theatre the rehearsal room is a sacred space -- the private domain where boundaries are pushed, risks taken, mistakes made, vulnerabilities exposed and, at its very best, magic created. It's not a place into which the public is often, if ever, invited. Until now; In The Company of Actors features an ensemble of Australia's finest actors, including Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving, as they prepare to perform the Sydney Theatre Company's production of Hedda Gabler, at the prestigious Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. Opening night is just five weeks away and the pressure is on.

In the Company of Actors

2007
The Bleeding Edge
6.8

Each year in the United States, unparalleled innovations in medical diagnostics, treatment, and technology hit the market. But when the same devices designed to save patients end up harming them, who is accountable?

The Bleeding Edge

2018
The Department
N/A

THE DEPARTMENT is a feature documentary which takes us inside the never-before-seen child protection system at work in NSW. Filmed in an observational style, it follows caseworkers across the state as they navigate the complexities of keeping children safe in families experiencing domestic violence, addiction, poverty, mental health issues and intergenerational trauma.

The Department

2021
Mothers of Chibok
9.0

Following four Nigerian mothers as they fight to educate their children in the wake of tragedy.

Mothers of Chibok

2024
Life After the Oasis
6.0

In 2008, feature documentary, The Oasis, shocked Australia with its gritty insight into the lives of homeless teens at a notorious youth refuge in inner city Sydney. An outpouring of social and political goodwill followed, with the then Prime Minister pledging to halve homelessness by 2020. A decade later, with social inequality and homelessness worse than ever, the original participants reflect on where their lives have taken them.

Life After the Oasis

2019
Paul Kelly: Stories of Me
8.2

An intimate portrait of Paul Kelly, Australia's foremost singer-songwriter. In a career spanning more than thirty years he has documented the history of our country, described its landscapes and cities, and captured the lives and loves of its citizens. Kelly has written over 350 songs, penned lyrics for many other singers, co-authored songs and written for film. But like all great artists Paul Kelly is both candid and reserved. He has lived in the public eye but has remained an enigma.

Paul Kelly: Stories of Me

2012
Inventing Tomorrow
7.0

Take a journey with young minds from around the globe as they prepare their projects for the largest convening of high school scientists in the world, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Watch these passionate innovators find the courage to face the planet’s environmental threats while navigating adolescence.

Inventing Tomorrow

2019
The Twins
N/A

Two old school friends, come back together forty years after playing the twins in Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors, to rework it as a two-hander. The film of the heart-breaking and hilarious new play about trust; remembering and forgetting to remember; loss; regret; love; pain and glory. Their lives took different paths; they are now reunited, but who is playing who? Are they who they say they are and should any of that matter? And once you've let go of your dreams, is there ever really any way back? It's about fathers and the shadows they leave, the labels we give to others and ourselves and the burden and guilt these two friends carry as a result. An achingly honest account that sees privilege and heroin joined at the hip.

The Twins

The Pool
8.0

Bondi Icebergs is the most photographed pool in the world. This is where generations of children have learnt to swim, where the diehard have braved the frigid waters of one hundred winters, where the young and beautiful have come to bond and bake in the hot sun. THE POOL is a stunning cinematic experience with a soundtrack that harks back to the 1960s and a cast of characters who each have a story to tell. It speaks to the enduring power of community and our collective longing to find it. No matter your background or where you’re at – everyone is equal in their swimsuits.

The Pool

2024
Alone Across Australia
7.0

In 2001, one of the worlds most accomplished climbers and adventurers, Jon Muir began a 2,500 kilometre odyssey to cross Australia from the south to the north coast on foot. For 128 days, Jon and his dog Seraphine, survived entirely off the land -- hunting and gathering along the way. Jon was taxed to the limit physically and emotionally. Often close to despair, he drew on his instinct for survival, his deep understanding of the land and his remarkable inner strength.

Alone Across Australia

2004
The Final Quarter
7.5

Australian documentary filmmaker Ian Darling re-examines the incidents that marked the final 3 years of Indigenous footballer Adam Goodes' playing career. Made entirely from archival footage, photos and interviews sourced from television, radio and newspapers, the film reviews the national conversation that took place over this period.

The Final Quarter

2019