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Ian Darling is an acclaimed documentary filmmaker and serves as the Executive Director of Shark Island Institute and its production division, Shark Island Productions, based in Sydney.
His roles as Director and Producer include works such as The Pool (2024), The Final Quarter (2019), The Oasis: Ten Years Later (2019), Paul Kelly - Stories of Me (2012), The Oasis (2008), Suzy & the Simple Man (2016), In the Company of Actors (2007), Alone Across Australia (2004), Woodstock for Capitalists (2001), Polly and Me (2009), and The Soldier (2011). Additionally, he has been Executive Producer on films like On the Record (2020), The Fourth Estate (2018), 2040 (2019), The Bleeding Edge (2018), Unrest (2017), Inventing Tomorrow (2018), and How to Change the World (2015).
Darling founded Good Pitch Australia, contributing to the development of 19 social impact documentaries and outreach initiatives, including The Hunting Ground (2015), That Sugar Film (2014), Gayby Baby (2015), Prison Songs (2015), Frackman (2015), Zach's Ceremony (2016), The Opposition (2016), Whiteley (2017), Ghosthunter (2018), and Blue (2017).
Since 2001, he has chaired The Caledonia Foundation. He also founded and formerly chaired the Documentary Australia Foundation and serves on the Impact Partners Advisory Board in New York. From 2006 to 2010, he chaired the Sydney Theatre Company and the STC Foundation and has been a board member of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).
He was honored with the Byron Kennedy Award at the 2018 AACTA Awards for innovation and outstanding dedication. Darling won the AFI Award for Best Direction in a Documentary for The Oasis (2008), has been a two-time Walkley Awards finalist, received the Film Critics Award, and earned multiple nominations from the Australian Directors Guild, AFI/AACTA, and IF awards.
His photography has been recognized as a finalist in prestigious competitions including the National Photographic Portrait Prize, Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize, Sydney Life Photography Prize, and Head On Portrait Prize.
In 2017, Philanthropy Australia named him Australia's Leading Philanthropist. He also received the Creative Partnerships Australia Business Leadership Award, and his film project The Oasis (2008) was listed among 'Australia's Top 50 Philanthropic Gifts of All Time.'
In 2018, Ian Darling was appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia for his distinguished contributions to documentary film production, performing arts, education, community engagement, and philanthropic work supporting social welfare organizations.
He holds an MBA from IMD Switzerland and a Bachelor of Arts with Honours from the Australian National University.
