Biography

Ian is a Melbourne based writer, director and producer with a national and international profile. He started making films in 1978 and made his first feature, Plains of Heaven, in 1982. He has written, directed, and or produced nine feature films. His films have been screened at Cannes (Prisoner of St Petersburg in Un Certain Regard), Berlin (Celia and Wrong World which won a Silver Bear) and Toronto, as well as other top international film festivals where they won numerous high awards. Romper Stomper (featuring Russell Crowe) won 6 Australian Film Institute Awards in 1992 including Best Film. Ian's films have also been distributed widely in Europe and Australia. Ian organised the first co-productions between Australia/France (Isabelle Eberhardt), and Australia/Germany (The Prisoner of St. Petersburg), initially done under a memorandum of understanding. His most recent feature film, The Legend Maker, screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2014. As a film maker, Ian has an international and historical perspective. He believes Australia should be without limits in the stories we explore, the questions we ask, and the excellence we seek. He has made films in English, French and German, and on location in Australia, France, Germany, Bolivia, Tunisia, and the United States. He is widely read in history and current affairs, particularly that of Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

- IMDb mini biography by: Jonathan Roper