Shark Island Productions

Shark Island Productions

Shark Island Productions logo
Industry	Documentary
Founded	2001
Headquarters	Sydney, Australia
Key people	Ian Darling, Sally Fryer, Mary Macrae, Malinda Wink
Website	sharkisland.com.au

Shark Island Productions is an award-winning documentary film production company based in Sydney, Australia.^[1][2]

Formed in 2001 by AFI Award-winning producer and director Ian Darling,^[3] Shark Island Productions^[2] creates extensive education, outreach and community engagement campaigns with its films. The Company builds strategic partnerships with foundations, philanthropists, and not-for-profit organisations to raise awareness and make a significant social impact.^[4][5]

Shark Island Productions manages Shark Island Institute, a non-profit organisation that has partnered with BRITDOC and the Sundance Documentary Film program to bring GoodPitch² Australia to the Sydney Opera House in 2014, an international forum that connect filmmakers with foundations, financiers, not-for-profits, philanthropists and policy-makers.^[6][7]

Shark Island Productions is a certified B corporation Company that meets standards of social and environmental performance,^[8] and is carbon neutral from 2014.

Films

Our Little Garden (coming in 2015)

Jon & Suzy Muir live in rural Victoria with their dogs, a herd of sheep, kangaroos, wild emus and more chickens than they can eat. Jon Muir has climbed Mt Everest, walked to the South and North Poles, and has walked alone across Australia too. Suzy has been a nurse, trained as a mid wife, has a black belt in karate and built her own house single-handedly. Together they share a love of adventure, growing vegetables, living simply and saving the planet from the bottom up. Their main source of ‘income’ is the organic food they grow themselves. Their power comes from the sun and the wind. They barter with neighbours and are keen to share their self-reliant philosophy. The local school invites them to design and manage a kitchen garden and the whole community rallies to help. But when their way of life is threatened, their priorities shift beyond the confines of their own little garden.

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.^[9]

Paul Kelly - Stories of Me (2012)

Paul Kelly - Stories of Me^[10] charts the many lives, loves and losses of Paul Kelly, one of Australia’s most gifted singer-songwriters. Kelly has been marking out the Australian landscape and its people through words and music for almost 40 years.

The sixth of nine children, a former altar boy, dux of his school, sports champion and grandson of two famous opera singers, Kelly began playing guitar at the age of 12. Since then, he has penned over 350 songs on themes of love, sex, death, family, friends and places, drawing on an enormous number of heroes – literary, musical, artistic and sporting – for his inspiration, and begging, borrowing and stealing from all of them. His songs are landscapes; charting not just the physical terrain but the emotional landscapes he and his contemporaries have walked through.

He is a storyteller, a poet, and has the unique ability to communicate with all Australians, across all age groups and gender. Collaborating with indigenous musicians, young performers, and artists of all genres, Kelly has created some of the most important songs of our times.

Paul Kelly has lived through failure and he has the songs to show for it. Although a very private person in a public career, STORIES OF ME digs deeply into what makes Paul Kelly tick, revealing the man and his music for the first time. And the poet who lurks inside all of us.

ABC Broadcast date: 27 October 2012

Accolades

Won Best Sound in a Documentary Australian Screen Sound Guild 2013, Won Best Documentary Arts and Best Educational/Training resource (Primary/Secondary) ATOM Awards 2013, Won Best Documentary Film Critics Circle of Australia 2012, Won Best Editing in a Documentary Feature Australian Screen Editors Guild 2012, Nominated Best Documentary Feature Australian Directors Guild Awards 2013, Nominated Best Sound in a Documentary AACTA Awards 2013, Official Selection at the Melbourne International Film Festival 2012, Official Selection at the Canberra International Film Festival 2012.

The Soldier (2011)

A devotee of the Salvation Army since his early 20s Ken Depena, now 82, is the quintessential soldier. Having chosen collecting as his ministry, he has spent over half a century trawling the establishments of the inner city with his little wooden box, raising money for the Army's good work.

Transferred from suburbia to the Kings Cross corps as a chaste young man, he has circulated in Sydney's wildest area for most of his adult life brushing uniformed shoulders with the drug addicts, prostitutes and transvestites that make the area notorious. It was all in God's plan for him.

These days Ken's march is more of a shuffle, but his dedication to the cause is as fiery as ever. Indeed, his old world philosophy of hard labour and abstinence clashes dramatically with the daily reality of the wayward teens of the Salvos Youth refuge, where he volunteers every day.

Accolades

2012 official selection and Best Australian Documentary 'Special Mention' at the Antenna Documentary Festival.^[11]

Polly and Me (2010)

An 8-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 during Child Protection Week followed by a live audience discussion hosted by Geraldine Doogue.^[12]

Polly and Me is endorsed by leading family and child abuse prevention organisations including: Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY), Benevolent Society, CREATE Foundation, Good Beginnings, Families Australia, Lighthouse Foundation, Lou’s Place, Mirabel Foundation,^[13][14] National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN), The Salvation Army and The Smith Family.^[15]

ABC Broadcast date: 9 September 2010

Accolades

Nominated Best Achievement in Sound for a Short Fiction Film ASSG Award 2010.^[16]

Wall Boy (2010)

A shy young runaway finds himself forced into sex work at the 'Wall'. At nightfall he stands awkwardly on the street amongst the hardened, older hustlers. A man in a car close by watches his every move. The boy's only respite is a quick break on board an outreach bus, which drops by once a week offering hot drinks and free internet. He is allowed to get on and use the computer but must not speak to anyone or make eye contact. The Youth Worker on the bus takes a genuine interest in the boy, even though his attempts to befriend him are continually rejected. As he watches the boy deteriorate over a series of weeks, the Youth Worker becomes ever more desperate to break through to him, before he spirals beyond the point of no return.^[17][18]

Accolades

2010 Nicola Daley for Cinematography - Fiction Drama Shorts at the Australian Cinematographers Society.^[19] Official Selection at Santa Barbara Film Festival, Ojai Film Festival, L.A Shortsfest, NYC International Film Festival, Korea Asiana Film Festival.^[20]

The Oasis (2008)

The Oasis^[21] was filmed over two years at The Oasis Youth Support Network^[22] refuge run by the Salvation Army in Surry Hills, Australia. On any night in Australia, 22,000 teenagers are homeless. This film follows Captain Paul Moulds and Robbin Moulds and their interactions with the youths using the refuge.The stories take an unflinching look at the difficulties and triumphs that happen each day and night. Many of these young people have ongoing problems with drug abuse; some of them can be violent, abusive and out of control; some of them seem resistant to attempts to help. But whatever is happening in their lives, Paul and Robbin Moulds are there to work with them to assist in turning lives around through supporting them, however often they fall down.

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.^[23][24]

ABC Broadcast date: 10 April 2008

Accolades

Won. Best Direction in a Documentary, Best Editing in a Documentary, AFI Awards 2008, Best Tertiary Education Resource and Best Educational Multi-Modal Production ATOM Awards 2008, Special Jury Prize FIFO.

Nominated. Finalist: Best Documentary General ATOM Awards 2008, Best Documentary Human Story ATOM Awards 2008, Best Documentary Social and Political Issues ATOM Awards 2008, Best Education Multimodal Production ATOM Awards 2008, Best Documentary Logie Awards 2009, Finalist: Walkley Awards 2008, Best Documentary and Best Sound non-feature AFI Awards 2008, Best Direction ADG Awards 2008, Best Documentary IF Awards 2008, Social Justice Award for Documentary Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2009.

In The Company of Actors (2007)

Within the world of theatre, the rehearsal room is a sacred space, the private domain where boundaries are pushed, risks are taken, mistakes made, vulnerabilities exposed and, at its very best, magic created. It is not a place into which the public is often, if ever, invited. Until now... In the Company of Actors features an ensemble of actors 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.

It was broadcast in Australia on ABC1 February 2008.^[25]

Education and Outreach

The film and study guide^[26] package was donated to English, Drama and Media departments in all secondary schools across Australia with support from the Caledonia Foundation.

ABC Broadcast date: 7 February 2008

Accolades

Official Selection 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, The London Australian Film Festival, River Run International Film Festival.

Alone Across Australia (2003)

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 has won more than 25 awards, and has screened at over 60 international film festivals. It was recently listed as one of the 20 Best Adventure DVDs of all Time by Men's Journal magazine in the US.^[27]

ABC Broadcast date: 8 September 2004

Accolades

Audience Award Best Feature Documentary at San Francisco Documentary Film Festival, Crystal Heart Award Heartland Film Festival; Best Mountain Film and People’s Choice Award Banff 2004, Best Adventure Feature, People’s Choice Award, Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival Arizona 2005; Special Jury Prize, Santa Barbara International Film Festival; Best Adventure Film, Moscow; Voted one of the "20 Best Adventure Films of All Time" Men's journal Magazine, USA,^[28] Winner of 32 International Film Festival Awards and Official Selection in over 30 Film Festivals around the world.^[29]

Woodstock for Capitalists (2001)

Three days of love and worship. A millionaire's convention in Omaha, Nebraska – probably the largest gathering of private wealth at any one time, anywhere in the world – but it's not about money. It is an event surrounded by ritual, adulation and a fair degree of cult worship. 15,000 fanatical shareholders gather to pay homage to their hero Warren Buffett (the World’s second richest man), as one man searches for the reasons why.

ABC Broadcast date: 15 March 2001

Accolades CINE Golden Eagle Award, CINE Awards 2001; Official selection Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival 2001; Columbus International Film Festival; York Independent Film Festival; Pennsylvania Film Festival; Newport International Film Festival; Maui Film Festival; Tahoe International Film Festival.

Awards

Social Impact

All 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.^[30] 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^[21] documentary on youth homelessness on 10 April, followed by a panel discussed hosted by Tony Jones.^[31][32] 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.^[33] The partnership with ABC Television was teamed with two major initiatives funded by The Caledonia Foundation:^[34] 1) the National Youth Commission (NYC) Report on Youth Homelessness;^[35] and 2) a comprehensive education and outreach campaign. The NYC Report^[35] 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^[35] 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.^[4] 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.^[36]

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.^[37] The report Music to Our Ears with the Music Council of Australia was commissioned to increase parental engagement to advance music education in schools.^[37][38][39] 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]

STORIES FROM THE INSIDE campaign focuses on youth, the young men in the film speaking directly of their experiences in prison and the route to prison, We wanted to reach out to other young people starting out in their early adult life, to educate them about what can happen if you make the wrong choices. It only takes a moment of stupidity to ruin your life or someone else’s. We wanted to convey how bland and regimented daily life is in prison and how mentally taxing it is on a young persons mind... I found that talking about my crime in such detail made me more comfortable within myself and made me realise that some remarkable things can come from adversities.

Distribution

Shark Island documentaries are available for home use online at their website,^[2] through ABC shops^[40] and distributors Madman Entertainment.^[41]

Study Guides

• Stories from the Inside Study Guide
• Paul Kelly - Stories of me Study Guide
• The Oasis Study Guide
• In the Company of Actors Study Guide
• Wallboy Study Guide
• Polly and Me Study Guide
• Alone Across Australia Study Guide
• Woodstock for Capitalists Study Guide

References

External links

• Official website
• Shark Island Productions at the Internet Movie Database