Shark Island Productions is a documentary film production company based in Sydney, Australia, creates extensive education, outreach and community engagement campaigns with its films. It is the production arm of Shark Island Institute.
| Industry | Documentary |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | |
Key people | Ian Darling, Sally Fryer, Mary Macrae, Malinda Wink |
| Website | Official website |
The company
editShark Island Productions film production company based in Sydney that focuses on making documentaries.[1][2] established in 2001 by Ian Darling.[3][2]
Shark Island Productions is a certified B corporation Company that meets standards of social and environmental performance,[4] and is carbon-neutral since 2014.
Shark Island Institute
editThrough Shark Island Institute, the company builds partnerships with foundations, philanthropists, and not-for-profit organisations to raise awareness and make a social impact.[5][6]
The organisation partnered with BRITDOC and the Sundance Documentary Film Program to bring GoodPitch2 Australia to the Sydney Opera House in 2014, 2015 and 2016, an international forum that connect filmmakers with foundations, financiers, not-for-profits, philanthropists and policy-makers.[7][8] Money is raised in philanthropic grants for funding social impact documentaries and powerful strategic partnerships between community groups, the corporate sector, NGOs and policy-makers are formed.
Supported documentaries from the Good Pitch slate include That Sugar Film, Frackman, Gayby Baby, Zach's Ceremony, The Hunting Ground, Whiteley (about Australian artist Brett Whiteley) and Constance On the Edge.
Shark Island Institute works with international documentary filmmakers in The Portfolio,[9] resulting in films such as The Hunting Ground, The Bleeding Edge, The Fourth Estate, Inventing Tomorrow, 2040, Unrest, How to Change the World and Bully.
Films
editThe Final Quarter (2019)
editThe Final Quarter premiered at the 2019 Sydney Film Festival, where it was an official selection, and had five further on-demand screenings. It was also screened at the 2019 Perth International Film Festival and Castlemaine Documentary Film Festivals. It then went to broadcast with Channel 10 on 18 July 2019.[citation needed]
The film was nominated for several awards and won a number of those.
Life After the Oasis (2019)
editLife After the Oasis reflects on the last decade with original participants from the 2008 ABC TV documentary The Oasis. It premiered at the 2019 Sydney Film Festival,[10] and was broadcasts on SBS Television on 10 November 2019.
Suzy & the Simple Man (2016)
editSuzy & the Simple Man was screened as official selection at the following film festivals:[citation needed]
- Sydney Film Festival 2016 (premiere)
- Melbourne International Film Festival 2016
Official Selection at Mountainfilm 2017
- Byron Bay Film Festival 2017
- Earth Talks International Film Festival 2017
- Bali International Film Festival 2017
- Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2018
Stories From The Inside (2013)
editIn Stories From The Inside (2013), a group of first time offenders reveal the crimes that led to their incarceration into the Youth Unit at Port Phillip Prison. The inmates tell their stories around the choices, mistakes and the effects of their actions on themselves, families and victims, and discuss the harsh reality of prison life, the daily grind, boredom, depression, and the fear of rejection when they return to the outside world. Made in association with Igniting Change, the film and study guide is made available as a free resource for all schools in Australia.[11]
Paul Kelly – Stories of Me (2012)
editPaul Kelly – Stories of Me, about the musician Paul Kelly, was in the official selection at the 2012 Melbourne International Film Festival and Canberra International Film Festival, and was broadcast on ABC Television on 27 October 2012. It was nominated for and won several awards.[citation needed]
The Soldier (2011)
editThe Soldier is a short film directed by Ian Darling and Sascha Ettinger-Epstein. It is about an 80-year-old volunteer who has worked for The Salvation Army since 1949. He was then receptionist at their youth refuge, Oasis.[12] It was an official selection and won a Special Mention as Best Australian Documentary at the Antenna Documentary Festival.[13]
Polly and Me (2010)
editIn Polly and Me is a short film released in 2010.[14] An eight-year-old girl lives alone with her mother and dreams of a better life beyond the walls of their small and dingy apartment. Isolated and lonely, the girl's only friend is her doll, Polly. The film was launched on ABC Television on 9 September 2010, during Child Protection Week, followed by a live audience discussion hosted by Geraldine Doogue.[15]
Polly and Me is endorsed by leading family and child abuse prevention organisations including: Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, Benevolent Society, CREATE Foundation, Good Beginnings, Families Australia, Lighthouse Foundation, Lou's Place, Mirabel Foundation,[16][17] National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, The Salvation Army, and The Smith Family.[18]
It was nominated Best Achievement in Sound for a Short Fiction Film ASSG Award 2010.[19]
Wall Boy (2010)
editFro Wall Boy, Nicola Daley was given an award for Cinematography in the Fiction Drama Shorts at the Australian Cinematographers Society.[20] Official Selection at Santa Barbara Film Festival, Ojai Film Festival, L.A Shortsfest, NYC International Film Festival, Korea Asiana Film Festival.[21]
The Oasis (2008)
editThe Oasis[22] was filmed over two years at The Oasis Youth Support Network[23] refuge run by the Salvation Army in Surry Hills, Sydney, to highlight youth homelessness in Australia.
It was broadcast on ABC Television on 10 April 2008, and won a number of awards.[citation needed]
In 2011 The Oasis Homeless Short Film Competition was launched by patron Cate Blanchett, encouraging youth to make a three-minute film about any aspect of homelessness.[24][25]
In The Company of Actors (2007)
editIn The Company of Actors was screened in the Official Selections of the Sydney Film Festival in 2007; Melbourne International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, St Tropez Internationales du Cinema des Antiodes, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Mumbai International Film Festival, OzFliz Ontario, London Australian Film Festival, River Run International Film Festival.[citation needed]. It was broadcast in Australia on ABC1 February 2008.[26]
The film and study guide[27] package was donated to English, drama, and media departments in all secondary schools across Australia, with support from the Caledonia Foundation.[citation needed]
Alone Across Australia (2003)
editAlone Across Australia has won more than 25 awards, and has screened at over 60 international film festivals. It was listed as one of the 20 Best Adventure DVDs of all Time by Men's Journal magazine in the US.[28]
It was broadcast on the ABC on 8 September 2004.[citation needed]
It was voted one of the "20 Best Adventure Films of All Time" Men's journal Magazine, USA,[29] and was the winner of 32 international film festival awards and official selection in over 30 film festivals around the world.[30]
Woodstock for Capitalists (2001)
editWoodstock for Capitalists was about a millionaire's convention in Omaha, Nebraska, at which "15,000 fanatical shareholders gather to pay homage to their hero Warren Buffett".[citation needed]
It was broadcast on ABC Television on 15 March 2001.[citation needed]
It won the 2001 CINE Golden Eagle Award, and was selected to screen at Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival; Columbus International Film Festival; York Independent Film Festival; Pennsylvania Film Festival; Newport International Film Festival; Maui Film Festival; and Tahoe International Film Festival.[citation needed]
Social impact
editAll Shark Island Productions[2] films have education and outreach initiatives built around them. The Documentary film The Oasis had the most extensive outreach campaign of any film made in Australia and The Oasis Initiative was listed as one of Top 50 Philanthropic Gifts of All Time by Pro Bono Australia in 2013.[31] The issue of youth homelessness in Australia gained national media attention in Youth Week 2008 via the release of the National Youth Commission's “Australia’s Homeless Youth” report on 8 April and ABC1’s premiere of The Oasis[22] documentary on youth homelessness on 10 April, followed by a panel discussed hosted by Tony Jones.[32][33] This report influenced the Australian Governments Green Paper Which Way Home? and the White Paper, which set out the Government's national plan of action.[34] The partnership with ABC Television was teamed with two major initiatives funded by The Caledonia Foundation:[35] 1) the National Youth Commission (NYC) Report on Youth Homelessness;[36] and 2) a comprehensive education and outreach campaign.
The NYC Report[36] was the result of an independent, national inquiry which informed the range of evidence-based recommendations. In 2007, the NYC held 21 days of hearings in all states and territories. Formal evidence was given by 319 individuals and 91 written submissions were received, including seven from government departments. The NYC report[36] launched by Tanya Plibersek at Oasis in 2008 provided context and credibility to images presented by the documentary, it showed that the experience of The Oasis youth was representative of a greater problem, not an isolated case.
The companion short films POLLY AND ME and WALL BOY involved Community Partners and Philanthropic Partners to widen the outreach of the films and broaden community discussion of the issues of addiction, abuse and neglect.[5] The three films provoke much discussion about dealing with complex social problems, and raise issues about the adequacy of service levels surrounding prevention and response programs in the community.[37]
An outreach and education initiative with The Caledonia Foundation launched Paul Kelly & The Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery by The Hon Tony Burke MP and Paul Kelly - Portrait of an Artist Schools' Education and Curriculum program by The Hon Peter Garrett AM and developed with the English Teachers Association NSW.[38] The report Music to Our Ears with the Music Council of Australia was commissioned to increase parental engagement to advance music education in schools.[38][39][40] The report Music to Our Ears with the Music Council of Australia was commissioned to increase parental engagement to advance music education in schools.[39]
Awards
edit| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | AACTA | Sally Fryer - Best Editing in a Documentary | The Final Quarter | Won |
| 2019 | AACTA | Best Documentary 2019 | The Final Quarter | Nominated |
| 2019 | Australian Screen Editors Guild | Sally Fryer - Best Editing in a Documentary Feature | The Final Quarter | Won |
| 2019 | Film Critics Circle of Australia | Best Documentary | The Final Quarter | Won |
| 2019 | Australian Human Rights Commission | Racism. It Stops With Me Award | The Final Quarter | Won |
| 2019 | Asian Academy Creative Award | Best Documentary - Regional | The Final Quarter | Won |
| 2019 | Asian Academy Creative Award | Best Documentary - Grand Final | The Final Quarter | Won |
| 2019 | Sport Australia Media Awards | Best Documentary | The Final Quarter | Won |
| 2019 | Walkley Awards | Television Current Affairs, Documentary Feature or Broadcast | The Final Quarter | Finalist |
| 2019 | Australian Screen Sound Guild | Best Sound for a Documentary | The Final Quarter | Nominated |
| 2019 | Screen Producers Australia Awards | Documentary Feature of the Year | The Final Quarter | Finalist |
| 2018 | AACTA Byron Kennedy Award | Outstanding creative enterprise within the film and television industries | Ian Darling | Won |
| 2013 | ATOM Awards | Best Educational/Training Resource (Primary/Secondary) | Paul Kelly - Stories of Me | Won |
| 2013 | ATOM Awards | Best Documentary Arts | Paul Kelly - Stories of Me | Won |
| 2013 | ATOM Awards | Best Documentary General | Paul Kelly - Stories of Me | Finalist |
| 2013 | ATOM Awards | Best Documentary Biography | Paul Kelly - Stories of Me | Finalist |
| 2013 | Australian Directors Guild Award | Ian Darling - Best Documentary Feature | Paul Kelly - Stories of Me | Nominated |
| 2013 | Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts | Best Sound in a Documentary | Paul Kelly - Stories of Me | Nominated |
| 2013 | Australian Screen Sound Guild | Best Sound for a Documentary | Paul Kelly - Stories of Me | Won |
| 2012 | Film Critics Circle of Australia | Best Documentary | Paul Kelly - Stories of Me | Won |
| 2012 | Australian Screen Editors Guild | Sally Fryer - Best Editing in a Documentary Feature | Paul Kelly - Stories of Me | Won |
| 2010 | Australian Screen Sound Guild | Best Achievement in Sound for a Short Fiction Film | Polly and Me | Nominated |
| 2008 | Australian Film Institute | Ian Darling and Sascha Ettinger Epstein - Best Direction in a Documentary | The Oasis | Won |
| 2008 | Australian Film Institute | Best Editing in a Documentary | The Oasis | Won |
| 2008 | ATOM Awards | Best Tertiary Education Resource | The Oasis | Won |
| 2008 | ATOM Awards | Best Multimodal Production | The Oasis | Won |
| 2008 | ATOM Awards | Best Documentary General | The Oasis | Finalist |
| 2008 | ATOM Awards | Best Documentary Human Story | The Oasis | Finalist |
| 2008 | ATOM Awards | Best Documentary Social and Political Issues | The Oasis | Finalist |
| 2008 | ATOM Awards | Best Education Multimodal Production | The Oasis | Finalist |
| 2008 | Australian Directors Guild Award | Ian Darling, Sasha Ettinger Epstein - Best Direction in a Documentary | The Oasis | Nominated |
| 2008 | FIFO | Special Jury Prize | The Oasis | Won |
| 2008 | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Documentary | The Oasis | Nominated |
| 2008 | Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Sound | The Oasis | Nominated |
| 2008 | Inside Film Awards | Best Documentary | The Oasis | Nominated |
| 2008 | Walkley Awards | Television Current Affairs, Documentary Feature or Broadcast | The Oasis | Finalist |
| 2009 | Logie Awards | Best Documentary | The Oasis | Finalist |
| 2005 | CINE Golden Eagle Award | Documentary | Alone Across Australia | Won |
| 2005 | Santa Barbara International Film Festival | Special Jury Award | Alone Across Australia | Won |
| 2004 | Heartland Film Festival | Crystal Heart Award | Alone Across Australia | Won |
| 2004 | San Francisco Docfest | Audience Award | Alone Across Australia | Won |
| 2004 | BANFF Mountain Film Festival | People's Choice Award, Best Mountain Film | Alone Across Australia | Won |
| 2001 | CINE Golden Eagle Award | Documentary | Woodstock For Capitalists | Won |
Distribution
editShark Island documentaries are available for home use online at their website,[2] through ABC shops[41] and distributors Roadshow Entertainment and Madman Entertainment.[42]
References
edit- ^ "National Youth Commission into Youth Homelessness". Youth Development Australia.
- ^ a b c d "Shark Island Productions".
- ^ "Documentary Australia Foundation Honoured". Probono Australia. 26 February 2013.
- ^ "bcorporation.net".
- ^ a b "Wallboy".
- ^ "Good Pitch". goodpitch.org.
- ^ "Shark Island Productions: Documentaries for Social Change". 18 November 2013.
- ^ Bodey, Michael (10 December 2013). "Good Pitch documentary forum to be held in Sydney Oct 2014 and beyond". The Australian.
- ^ "The Portfolio | Shark Island Institute". sharkisland.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018.
- ^ Zhou, Debbie (10 June 2019). "'If it wasn't for the Oasis, I don't think I'd be alive': inside the lives of homeless teens". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ "Stories From the Inside". Documentary Australia Foundation.
- ^ The Soldier at IMDb
- ^ "Antenna Documentary Festival". Moviemag.org. Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ Polly and Me at IMDb
- ^ "Kids at Risk". ABC Television.
- ^ "'Polly and Me' Short Film". Mirabel Foundation.
- ^ Rowe, Jane (8 September 2012). "Polly's story is one we all need to hear". Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ Child Abuse & Neglect in the spotlight
- ^ "2010 Awards". Australian Screen Sound Guild.
- ^ "ASC Award Winners".
- ^ "Australia's Top 100 Short Films". St Kilda Film Festival.
- ^ a b "The Oasis Movie".
- ^ "Oasis Youth Support Network".
- ^ "The Oasis Short Film Competition - Bite Back".
- ^ "Cate Blanchett launches Oasis: Homeless Short Film Competition". Inside Film. 6 April 2011.
- ^ "In The Company of Actors". ABC TV. 7 February 2008.
- ^ "In the Company of Actors Study Guide" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2013.
- ^ "ShAFF Presents Coast To Coast and Alone Across Australia". Sheffield Adventure Film Festival. Archived from the original on 12 August 2012.
- ^ "Heason Events". Heason.
- ^ "Alone Across Australia Update". Everest News.
- ^ "Australia's Top 50 Philanthropic Gifts". Pro Bono Australia.
- ^ The Oasis: Australia's Homeless Youth (television), Australia: ABC1, 10 April 2008
- ^ Hassall, Greg (10 April 2008), The Oasis - Australia Homeless Youth, Sydney Morning Herald
- ^ Which Way Home? The Australian Government Green Paper on Homelessness, Australian Labor Government, May 2008
- ^ "The Caledonia Foundation".
- ^ a b c "Australia's Homeless Youth" (PDF). The National Youth Commission Inquiry. 2008.
- ^ The Oasis Impact Statement (PDF), The Caledonia Foundation
- ^ a b "Paul Kelly & The Portraits Media Release" (PDF). National Portrait Gallery. 18 June 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
- ^ a b "Music to Our Ears". Archived from the original on 14 January 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
- ^ "Portrait of the artist". English Teachers Association NSW.
- ^ "ABC Shop".
- ^ "Madman Entertainment".