Shark Island Productions is a

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

production company based in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, Australia, established in 2001 by

Ian Darling Ian David Darling is a documentary film director and producer. He is the executive director of Shark Island Institute and its production arm, Shark Island Productions in Sydney, Australia. His documentary producer and director credits inc ...

. creates extensive education, outreach and community engagement campaigns with its films. It is the production arm of Shark Island Institute. Through Shark Island Institute, the company builds partnerships with foundations, philanthropists, and

not-for-profit organisation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

s to raise awareness and make a

social impact Social impact may refer to: * Social impact assessment * Social impact theory * Social influence Social influence comprises the ways in which individuals adjust their behavior to meet the demands of a social environment. It takes many forms and c ...

. The organisation partnered with

BRITDOC Doc Society (formerly Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation and BRITDOC Foundation) is a social entrepreneurship organisation created in 2005. They have supported the production of over 60 films that have won awards . Development Initially supported by UK b ...

and the Sundance Documentary Film Program to bring GoodPitch² Australia to the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

in 2014, 2015 and 2016, an international forum that connect filmmakers with foundations, financiers, not-for-profits, philanthropists and policy-makers. Money is raised in

philanthropic Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

grants for funding social impact documentaries and powerful strategic partnerships between community groups, the

corporate sector In economics, the business sector or corporate sector - sometimes popularly called simply "business" - is "the part of the economy made up by company, companies". It is a subset of the Sovereign state, domestic economy, excluding the economic ac ...

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

s and policy-makers are formed. Supported documentaries from the Good Pitch slate include ''

That Sugar Film ''That Sugar Film'' is a 2014 Australian documentary directed by and starring Damon Gameau. The film looks at hidden sugar in foods and the effect it can have on the human body. Plot The film follows Gameau's experiment on himself, changing from ...

'', ''

Frackman ''Frackman'' is a 2015 Australian documentary film about the former construction worker turned anti-fracking activist Dayne Pratzky as he responds to the expansion of the coal seam gas industry near Tara, Queensland. The film was produced by Si ...

'', ''

Gayby Baby ''Gayby Baby'' is a 2015 Australian documentary film directed by Maya Newell that follows four children raised by same-sex parents. Synopsis ''Gayby Baby'' observes the lives of four children—Gus, Ebony, Matt and Graham—whose parents are e ...

'', ''

Zach's Ceremony ''Zach's Ceremony'' is an Australian coming of age documentary film. It looks at the transition to adulthood from an indigenous cultural perspective. It features Zach Doomadgee and his father Alec Doomadgee. About the film The film looks at wha ...

'', ''

The Hunting Ground ''The Hunting Ground'' is a 2015 American documentary film about the incidence of sexual assault on college campuses in the United States and the reported failure of college administrations to deal with it adequately. Written and directed by K ...

'', ''Whiteley'' (about Australian artist ''

Brett Whiteley Brett Whiteley AO (7 April 1939 – 15 June 1992) was an Australian artist. He is represented in the collections of all the large Australian galleries, and was twice winner of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prizes. He held many exhibitions ...

'') and ''Constance On the Edge''. Shark Island Institute works with international documentary filmmakers in The Portfolio, resulting in films such as ''The Hunting Ground'', ''

The Bleeding Edge ''The Bleeding Edge'' is a 2018 Netflix original documentary film that investigates the $400 billion medical device industry. Written and directed by Kirby Dick and produced by Amy Ziering and Amy Herdy, it premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film F ...

'', '' The Fourth Estate'', ''Inventing Tomorrow'', '' 2040'', ''

Unrest Unrest, also called disaffection, is a sociological phenomenon, including: * Civil unrest * Civil disorder * Domestic terrorism * Industrial unrest * Labor unrest * Rebellion * Riot * Strike action * State of emergency Notable historical instance ...

'', '' How to Change the World'' and ''Bully''. Shark Island Productions is a certified

B corporation In the United States, a benefit corporation (or in several jurisdictions including Delaware, a public-benefit corporation or PBC) is a type of for-profit corporate entity, authorized by 35 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, that include ...

Company that meets standards of social and environmental performance, and is

carbon-neutral Carbon neutrality is a state of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. This can be achieved by balancing emissions of carbon dioxide with its removal (often through carbon offsetting) or by eliminating emissions from society (the transition to the "p ...

since 2014.

Films

The Final Quarter (2019)

The film premiered at the

Sydney Film Festival The Sydney Film Festival is an annual competitive film festival held in Sydney, Australia, usually over 12 days in June. A number of awards are given, the top one being the Sydney Film Prize. the festival's director is Nashen Moodley. Histo ...

and then went to broadcast with Channel 10, Australia. Accolades Official Selection at the

2019, with 5 further 'on-demand' screenings. Official Selection 2019 Perth International Film Festival; Castlemaine Documentary Film Festival July 2019. ''CH10 Broadcast date: 18 July 2019'' Won Best Editing in a Documentary

AACTA The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) is a professional organisation of film and television practitioners in Australia. The Academy's aim is "to identify, award, promote, and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements i ...

, Won Best Reporting of an Issue in Sport, Sporting Australia 2019 Media Awards, Won Best Documentary - Grand Final and Regional, 2019 Asian Academy Creative Awards, Won Racism It Stops With Me -

Australian Human Rights Commission The Australian Human Rights Commission is the national human rights institution of Australia, established in 1986 as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and renamed in 2008. It is a statutory body funded by, but opera ...

Award 2019, Won Best Documentary

Film Critics Circle of Australia The Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) is an association of cinema critics and reviewers. It includes journalists in "media, television, major national and state papers, radio, national and state, online and freelance writers, Australian ...

2019, Won Best Editing in a Documentary Feature Australian Screen Editors Guild 2019, Nominee Best Sound in a Documentary Australian Screen Sound Guild 2019, Nominee Best Documentary

Awards 2019, Finalist Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism - Documentary, Finalist Screen Producers Australia Awards 2019 Feature Documentary of the Year.

Life After The Oasis (2019)

'' Life After The Oasis'' reflects on the last decade with original participants from '' The Oasis''. Premiered at the 2019

. ''SBS Broadcast date: 10 November 2019''

Suzy & The Simple Man (2016)

Accolades Official Selection at the

2016 (Premiere) Official Selection at the

Melbourne International Film Festival The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is an annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1952 and is one of the oldest film festivals in the world following the founding of the Venice Film Fest ...

2016 Official Selection at Mountainfilm 2017 Official Selection at the

Byron Bay Film Festival The Byron Bay Film Festival is a popular AACTA Awards accredited independent awards-based film event held in the late Australian summer at the Byron Community & Cultural Centre, in the coastal town of Byron Bay. The festival was established in ...

2017 Official Selection at the Earth Talks International Film Festival 2017 Official Selection at the Balinale International Film Festival 2017 Official Selection at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2018

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 Port Phillip Prison is a maximum security prison located at Truganina, Victoria, Australia. It is Victoria's largest maximum security prison, able to accommodate up to 1117 prisoners. The prison is privately operated on behalf of the Governme ...

. 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.

Paul Kelly - Stories of Me (2012)

''ABC Broadcast date: 27 October 2012'' Accolades Won Best Sound in a Documentary

Australian Screen Sound Guild The Australian Screen Sound Guild was formed in 1988 to represent people working in audio engineering and post-production in film, television, multimedia and other related audio industries. such as those involved with location sound, sound editi ...

2013, Won Best Documentary Arts and Best Educational/Training resource (Primary/Secondary)

ATOM Awards The ATOM Awards are a group of awards offered to Australian and New Zealand "professionals, educators and students", honoring achievements in the making of film, television, multimedia, and from 2007 multi-modal productions. The Awards were esta ...

2013, Won Best Documentary

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

Awards 2013, Official Selection at the

2012, Official Selection at the

Canberra International Film Festival The Canberra International Film Festival (CIFF) is an annual film festival held in Canberra, Australia. It is a cinema celebration across an 11-day program in October/November each year. It is a showcase of films from Australia and around the gl ...

2012.

The Soldier (2011)

Accolades 2012 official selection and Best Australian Documentary 'Special Mention' at the Antenna Documentary Festival.

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 Geraldine Frances Doogue (born 29 April 1952) is an Australian journalist and radio and television presenter. Career After graduating from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Doogue intended to train as a scho ...

. Polly and Me is endorsed by leading family and child abuse prevention organisations including: Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY),

Benevolent Society The Benevolent Society, founded by Edward Smith Hall in 1813, is Australia's first and oldest charity. The society is an independent, not-for-profit organization whose main goals include helping families, older Australians and people with disabili ...

, CREATE Foundation, Good Beginnings, Families Australia, Lighthouse Foundation, Lou's Place, Mirabel Foundation,

National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

(NAPCAN),

The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...

and The Smith Family. ''ABC Broadcast date: 9 September 2010'' Accolades Nominated Best Achievement in Sound for a Short Fiction Film ASSG Award 2010.

Wall Boy (2010)

Accolades 2010 Nicola Daley for Cinematography - Fiction Drama Shorts at the

Australian Cinematographers Society The Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) is a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1958 for the purpose of providing a forum for Australian cinematographers to further develop their skills through mutual co-operation. Location Its Nati ...

. Official Selection at Santa Barbara Film Festival, Ojai Film Festival, L.A Shortsfest, NYC International Film Festival, Korea Asiana Film Festival.

The Oasis (2008)

The Oasis was filmed over two years at The Oasis Youth Support Network refuge run by the

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

Surry Hills Surry Hills is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Surry Hills is immediately south-east of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney. Surry Hills is surroun ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. 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 Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received nu ...

, encouraging youth to make a three-minute film about any aspect of homelessness. ''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

2008, Special Jury Prize FIFO. Nominated. Finalist: Best Documentary General

2008, Best Documentary Human Story

2008, Best Documentary Social and Political Issues

2008, Best Education Multimodal Production

2008, Best Documentary

Logie Awards The Logie Awards (officially the TV Week Logie Awards; colloquially known as The Logies) is an annual gathering to celebrate Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The first ceremony was held in 1959 as the ...

2009, Finalist:

Walkley Awards The annual Walkley Awards are presented in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in journalism. They cover all media including print, television, documentary, radio, photographic and online media. The Gold Walkley is the highest prize and ...

2008, Best Documentary and Best Sound non-feature AFI Awards 2008, Best Direction ADG Awards 2008, Best Documentary

IF Awards The Inside Film Awards (now known as the IF Awards) is an annual awards ceremony and broadcast platform for the Australian film industry, developed by the creators of Inside Film Magazine, Stephen Jenner and David Barda, and originally produced fo ...

2008, Social Justice Award for Documentary

Santa Barbara International Film Festival The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is an eleven-day film festival held in Santa Barbara, California since 1986. The festival boasts screenings of over 200 feature films and shorts from different countries and regions. SBIFF al ...

2009.

In The Company of Actors (2007)

It was broadcast in

ABC1 ABC TV, formerly known as ABC1, is an Australian national public television network. It is owned and operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and is the flagship ABC Television network. The headquarters of the ABC TV channel an ...

February 2008. Education and Outreach The film and study guide package was donated to English, Drama and Media departments in all secondary schools across

with support from the Caledonia Foundation. ''ABC Broadcast date: 7 February 2008'' Accolades Official Selection

in 2007;

Vancouver International Film Festival The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October. The festival is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Fest ...

, St Tropez Internationales du Cinema des Antiodes,

Mumbai International Film Festival The Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films (MIFF) is a festival organized in the city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) by the Films Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. It ...

, OzFliz Ontario, The London Australian Film Festival, River Run International Film Festival.

Alone Across Australia (2003)

Alone Across Australia ''Alone Across Australia'' is a fifty-two-minute documentary released in 2003, which is based on adventurer Jon Muir's solo and unsupported journey across Australia in 2001. The motion picture introduces Muir and his exploits all over the wor ...

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 ''Men's Journal'' is an American monthly men's lifestyle magazine focused on outdoor recreation and comprising editorials on the outdoors, environmental issues, health and fitness, style and fashion, and gear. It was founded in 1992 by Jann Wenne ...

magazine in the US. ''ABC Broadcast date: 8 September 2004'' Accolades Audience Award Best Feature Documentary at San Francisco Documentary Film Festival, Crystal Heart Award

Heartland Film Festival The Heartland International Film Festival is a film festival held each October in Indianapolis, Indiana. The festival was first held in 1992, its goal is to "inspire filmmaker Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion pictu ...

; 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,

; Best Adventure Film, Moscow; Voted one of the "20 Best Adventure Films of All Time" Men's journal Magazine, USA, Winner of 32 International Film Festival Awards and Official Selection in over 30 Film Festivals around the world.

Woodstock for Capitalists (2001)

Three days of love and worship. A millionaire's convention in

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

– 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 Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net w ...

(the World's second richest man), as one man searches for the reasons why. ''ABC Broadcast date: 15 March 2001'' Accolades

CINE Ciné film or cine film is the term commonly used in the UK and historically in the US to refer to the 8 mm, Super 8, 9.5 mm, and 16 mm motion picture film formats used for home movies. It is not normally used to refer to ...

Golden Eagle Award,

Awards 2001; Official selection

Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival The Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival is a documentary film festivals held annually in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The festival began in 1991, with a screening of ten Academy Award-nominated documentaries. Overview The festival screens 100 docume ...

2001;

Columbus International Film Festival The Columbus International Film + Animation Festival is a Columbus, Ohio, United States annual film festival which is designed to encourage and promote the use of film and video in all forms of education and communication. It is the first and ol ...

; York Independent Film Festival; Pennsylvania Film Festival;

Newport International Film Festival Newport International Film Festival was an annual film festival in Newport, Rhode Island, established in 1998. The Newport Film Festival was generally held the first week in June and featured various international films at several local cinemas. ...

;

Maui Film Festival The Maui Film Festival is a film festival held annually on the island of Maui, Hawaii. It was founded in 2000 by Barry Rivers. Past attendees include Bryan Cranston, Freida Pinto, Connie Britton, and Pierce Brosnan The Maui Film Festival is nic ...

; Tahoe International Film Festival.

Awards

Social impact

All Shark Island Productions 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. The issue of youth

homelessness in Australia Homelessness in Australia is a social issue concerning the number of people in Australia that are considered to be homeless. There are no internationally agreed upon definitions of homelessness, making it difficult to compare levels of homelessnes ...

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

’s premiere of The Oasis documentary on youth

homelessness Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

on 10 April, followed by a panel discussed hosted by Tony Jones. 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. The partnership with

ABC Television ABC Television most commonly refers to: *ABC Television Network of the American Broadcasting Company, United States, or *ABC Television (Australian TV network), a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia ABC Television or ABC ...

was teamed with two major initiatives funded by The Caledonia Foundation: 1) the National Youth Commission (NYC) Report on Youth Homelessness; and 2) a comprehensive education and outreach campaign. The NYC Report 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 launched by

Tanya Plibersek Tanya Joan Plibersek (born 2 December 1969) is an Australian politician who served as Deputy Leader of the Labor Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 2013 to 2019. She has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sydney since 1998 ...

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. 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. An outreach and education initiative with The Caledonia Foundation launched ''Paul Kelly & The Portraits'' at the National Portrait Gallery by The Hon

Tony Burke Anthony Stephen Burke (born 4 November 1969) is an Australian politician serving as Leader of the House, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for the Arts since 2022. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP ...

MP and ''Paul Kelly - Portrait of an Artist Schools' Education and Curriculum program'' by The Hon

Peter Garrett Peter Robert Garrett (born 16 April 1953) is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and former politician. In 1973, Garrett became the lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil. As a performer he is known for his sign ...

AM and developed with the English Teachers Association NSW. The report ''Music to Our Ears'' with the

Music Council of Australia The Music Council of Australia (MCA) is a national peak music organisation for Australia. It is the official Australian representative to the UNESCO world peak music organization, the International Music Council (IMC), Paris. The MCA It is also a ...

was commissioned to increase parental engagement to advance music education in schools. The report ''Music to Our Ears'' with the

was commissioned to increase parental engagement to advance music education in schools.

Distribution

Shark Island documentaries are available for home use online at their website, through

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

shops and distributors

Roadshow Entertainment Roadshow Entertainment (formerly known as Roadshow Home Video from 1982–1993) is an Australian home video, production and distribution company that is a division of Village Roadshow (formerly Roadshow Home Video and Roadshow Entertainment) th ...

and

Madman Entertainment Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, is an Australian distribution and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising in feature films, documentaries and television series across theatri ...

References

External links

*{{Official website, http://www.sharkisland.com.au Documentary film production companies Film production companies of Australia Companies established in 2001 Companies based in Sydney 2001 establishments in Australia