Ian Darling

Ian Darling is an awardwinning 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 RIVERS 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 AFIAACTA 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 AFIAACTA 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 cowrote and acted in the awardwinning play THE TWINS a twohander 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