Ian Darling is Executive Chair of Shark Island Institute in Sydney. He is also Chair and founder of Good Pitch Australia, and Patron and founder of Documentary Australia Foundation. Darling is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. His Director and Producer credits include THE FINAL QUARTER, PAUL KELLY – STORIES OF ME, THE OASIS, POLLY & ME, SUZY & THE SIMPLE MAN, IN THE COMPANY OF ACTORS, ALONE ACROSS AUSTRALIA and WOODSTOCK FOR CAPITALISTS. He is Executive Producer of 2040, THE BLEEDING EDGE, UNREST, THE FOURTH ESTATE, INVENTING TOMORROW and HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD. He is currently producing THE GENESIS (exploring the complexities of child protection, intergenerational poverty, and homelessness in Australia). Ian Darling received the AFI Award for Best Direction in a Documentary, the Film Critics award for Best Documentary, is a Walkley Awards Finalist, and has been nominated for numerous Australian Directors Guild, AFI, ATOM, and IF awards. Ian Darling received the Byron Kennedy Award for innovation and the relentless pursuit of excellence at the 2018 AACTA Awards.

Sandra Gross, with her late husband, celebrated film producer and director Yoram Gross, together founded YORAM GROSS FILM STUDIO in Sydney in 1968 and developed it into Australia’s leading and most enduring producer of quality animated programming from the 70’s for over 3 decades. Sandra was Executive Producer on all the Studio productions. Today Sandra remains committed to continuing their support of both local and international artists in the animation industry by sponsoring a handful of film festival animation awards in memory of the late Yoram Gross.