Shark Island Productions is a

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

production company based in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, Australia, creates extensive education, outreach and community engagement campaigns with its films. It is the production arm of Shark Island Institute.

The company

Shark Island Productions film production company based in Sydney that focuses on making documentaries. 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 incl ...

. Shark Island Productions is a certified

B corporation In business, a company that uses the “Certified B Corporation” trademark (also B Corporation or B Corp) is a for-profit corporation certified for its social impact by B Lab, a global non-profit organization. To be granted and to maintain c ...

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

carbon-neutral Global net-zero emissions is reached when greenhouse gas emissions and Greenhouse gas removal, removals due to human activities are in balance. It is often called simply net zero. ''Emissions'' can refer to all greenhouse gases or only carbon diox ...

since 2014.

Shark Island Institute

Through Shark Island Institute, the company builds partnerships with foundations, philanthropists, and

not-for-profit organisation A not-for-profit or non-for-profit organization (NFPO) is a legal entity that does not distribute surplus funds to its members and is formed to fulfill specific objectives. While not-for-profit organizations and non-profit organizations (NPO ...

s to raise awareness and make a

social impact Social impact may refer to: *Social impact assessment *Social impact bond *Social impact theory *Social influence See also * Corporate social impact {{Disambig Impact Impact may refer to: * Impact (mechanics), a large force or mechanical sh ...

. The organisation partnered with BRITDOC 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 center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

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 companies". It is a subset of the domestic economy, excluding the economic activities of general gover ...

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

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

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

'', ''

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 ...

'', '' Zach's Ceremony'', ''

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 Ki ...

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

Brett Whiteley Brett Whiteley Order of Australia, 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 Prize, Archibald, Wynne Prize, ...

'') 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 ...

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

2040 In contemporary history, the third millennium is the current millennium in the ''Anno Domini'' or Common Era, under the Gregorian calendar. It began on 1 January 2001 ( MMI) and will end on 31 December 3000 ( MMM), spanning the 21st to 30th ...

'', ''

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

'', '' How to Change the World'' and ''Bully''.

Films

''The Final Quarter'' (2019)

'' The Final Quarter'' premiered at the 2019

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 ...

, 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. The film was nominated for several awards and won a number of those.

''Life After the Oasis'' (2019)

'' Life After the Oasis'' reflects on the last decade with original participants from the 2008 ABC TV documentary '' The Oasis''. It premiered at the 2019

, and was broadcasts on

SBS Television The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is an Australian hybrid-funded public service broadcaster. About 80 percent of funding for the company is derived from tax revenue. SBS operates six TV channels ( SBS, SBS Viceland, SBS World Movies, SBS ...

on 10 November 2019.

''Suzy & the Simple Man'' (2016)

'' Suzy & the Simple Man'' was screened as official selection at the following film festivals: * Sydney Film Festival 2016 (premiere) *

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

2016 Official Selection at

Mountainfilm Mountainfilm is a documentary film festival that showcases nonfiction stories about environmental, cultural, climbing, political and social justice issues in Telluride, Colorado. It has been held every Memorial Day weekend since 1979. In 2000, Mo ...

2017 *

Byron Bay Film Festival The Byron Bay Film Festival (BBFF) is a popular AACTA Awards accredited independent awards-based film event held in the late Australian summer at the Palace Cinemas, in the coastal town of Byron BayBrunswick Picture Housein Brunswick Heads and ...

2017 * Earth Talks International Film Festival 2017 * Bali International Film Festival 2017 * Wild & Scenic Film Festival 2018

''Stories From The Inside'' (2013)

In ''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)

'' Paul Kelly – Stories of Me'', about the musician Paul Kelly, was in the official selection at the 2012

and

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 ...

, and was broadcast on ABC Television on 27 October 2012. It was nominated for and won several awards.

''The Soldier'' (2011)

''The 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 The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

since 1949. He was then receptionist at their youth refuge, Oasis. It was an official selection and won a Special Mention as Best Australian Documentary at the Antenna Documentary Festival.

''Polly and Me'' (2010)

In ''Polly and Me'' is a short film released in 2010. 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 Geraldine Frances Doogue () (born 29 April 1952) is an Australian journalist and radio and television presenter, known for her work with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Since January 2024, she has been co-host of ABC Radio Natio ...

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

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 disabil ...

, CREATE Foundation, Good Beginnings, Families Australia, Lighthouse Foundation, Lou's Place, Mirabel Foundation, National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect,

, and The Smith Family. It was nominated Best Achievement in Sound for a Short Fiction Film ASSG Award 2010.

''Wall Boy'' (2010)

For ''Wall Boy'', Nicola Daley was given an award for Cinematography in the 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. History The Austral ...

. Official Selection at

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

, 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 The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

Surry Hills Surry Hills is an Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), inner-east 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 in Australia, local gover ...

, Sydney, to highlight youth homelessness in Australia. It was broadcast on ABC Television on 10 April 2008, and won a number of awards. In 2011 The Oasis Homeless Short Film Competition was launched by patron

Cate Blanchett Catherine Élise Blanchett ( ; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor and producer. Regarded as one of the best performers of her generation, she is recognised for Cate Blanchett on screen and stage, her versatile work across stage and scre ...

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

''In The Company of Actors'' (2007)

''In The Company of Actors'' was screened in the Official Selections of the

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 Festi ...

, St Tropez Internationales du Cinema des Antiodes,

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

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 (India), Ministry of Infor ...

, OzFliz Ontario,

London Australian Film Festival The original London Australian Film Festival (LAFF) was an annual film festival held at the Barbican Theatre in London, England between 1994 and 2011. It was supported by agencies of the Australian Government. In 2017, the volunteer-run Londo ...

, River Run International Film Festival.. It was broadcast in Australia on

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 (broadcasting), flagship ABC Television (Australian TV network), A ...

February 2008. The film and study guide package was donated to English, drama, and media departments in all secondary schools across Australia, with support from the Caledonia Foundation.

''Alone Across Australia'' (2003)

'' Alone 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 ''Men's Journal'' was an American 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 Wenner of ...

magazine in the US. It was broadcast on the ABC on 8 September 2004. It was voted one of the "20 Best Adventure Films of All Time" Men's journal Magazine, USA, and was the winner of 32 international film festival awards and official selection in over 30 film festivals around the world.

''Woodstock for Capitalists'' (2001)

''Woodstock for Capitalists'' was about a millionaire's convention in

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

, at which "15,000 fanatical shareholders gather to pay homage to their hero

Warren Buffett Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American investor and philanthropist who currently serves as the chairman and CEO of the conglomerate holding company Berkshire Hathaway. As a result of his investment success, Buffett is ...

". It was broadcast on ABC Television on 15 March 2001. It won the 2001 CINE Golden Eagle Award, and was selected to screen at

Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival The Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival is a documentary film festival 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 docum ...

;

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 o ...

; 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 is based at Grand Wailea Resort and includes film premieres, filmmaker panels, special screenings, tributes, award ceremonies, culinary arts celebratio ...

; and Tahoe International Film Festival.

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 homelessn ...

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, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...

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 has been Minister for Social Services in the Albanese government since 2025. She was previously the Minister for the Environment and Water from 2022 to 2025. She was ...

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 National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

by The Hon

Tony Burke Anthony Stephen Burke (born 4 November 1969) is an Australian politician serving as Leader of the House, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for the Arts. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), and has served as member of ...

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

Awards

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. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

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, stylized as MADMAN, is an Australian film and television production, distribution, entertainment, and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising ...

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