- Ian Gabriel is a South African director of colour whose experience in film and theatre began at Dorkay House - Johannesburg's renowned anti-apartheid theatre - where he worked with legends of South Africa's jazz and theatre scene.
Recently, he collaborated with his writer-actor son, Gabe Gabriel, on comedy feature Runs in the Family. Written by and starring Gabe, and directed by Ian. In a poignant and hilarious road trip tale, a father/son duo - Varun and River - embark on an adventure to rescue River's estranged mother from rehab, only to rush back to the city in time for River's Drag performance. The film is set to release on Netflix in 2023.
Ian directed the Netflix crime series Ludik (2022). Ian worked closely with actor Arnold Vosloo, reprising the relationship the two established when Ian directed Forgiveness (2004), which won the Best South African Film Award and Best African Film Award, was a Golden Leopard nominee at the 2004 Locarno Film Festival, and won the Locarno Youth Jury Best Film Award and Human Rights Award in the same year.
Ian is currently developing Death Of a Whistleblower - a true events investigative thriller written by Louis Viljoen and Philip Roberts and produced by Joel Phiri and Tshepiso Sello. The film will explore the biological warfare in Africa and the Middle East - starring Noxolo Dlamini, Deon Coetzee and Irshaad Ally.
Ian's feature Four Corners (2013), was the South African Official Submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards, was awarded Best International Feature and Best Feature (USA) at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, won Best Film at the 2014 Niagara Integrated Film Festival; won 6 Golden Horn South African Film and Television Awards including Best Actor - awarded to the youngest nominee to date in that category, first time child actor, Jezriel Skei. His film also received the Best Picture Award.
Ian has worked as a commercial director in the Americas and throughout Europe, Asia and Africa. His work with celebrity talent includes human rights icon and activist Nelson Mandela, Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, aviation hero Chelsey Sullenberger, and many film, fashion and sports personalities such as Charlize Theron, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alex Wek and Haile Gebrselassie.
Ian is a development partner with 2018 Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Joslyn Barnes (Strong Island, 2017) on the historic TV Series, Sabela Gold (2017). He is developing Papwa, a historical feature film about legendary South African golfer Papwa Sewgolum, with producer Rafiq Samsodien.
Ian is a director in good standing at the DGA, is a participant in the DGA Diversity program, and is represented in USA by Paul Canterna (Seven Summits Film) and Justin Silvera (Silvera Management). Ian's production company, Giant Films - 2021 Ciclope Africa Production Company of the Year - is headed by Ian along with his partner, Executive Producer Cindy Gabriel and collaborator and Executive Producer, Emmy Lundy.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Ian Gabriel
- Children
- In the 1980s, at the height of apartheid repression, he made music videos with British pop enfant terrible Malcom McLaren. These received a unique double silver and bronze award at the New York Film and Television Festival, putting unexpected music and dance images of Soweto on video charts around the world.
- Along with the multiple awards Ian has won for his commercial and music video work, Ian was the recipient of the Human Rights Award at the 57th Locarno International Film Festival in 2004 for his debut feature film Forgiveness (2004), a Golden Leopard Nominee and winner of the Locarno Youth Jury Best Film Award. Forgiveness was listed by CNN African Voices as one of ten significant films from Africa in the first decade of the millennium.
- Ian Gabriel's career began in his early twenties at Johannesburg's famous multi-racial theatre venue, Dorkay House, where he worked with legends like Jimmy Sabe, Sam Williams, Barney Rachabane, - some of the greats of black theatre at that time. It was in this intriguing setting that a fascination with performance drew Ian into film launching himself as a commercials and music video director.
- Ian Gabriel is the co-author of 'Forgiveness' a High Schools study guide on the uses of film in conflict resolution and reconciliation. The guide references Ian's debut film, the Truth and Reconciliation drama Forgiveness(2004), along with a copy of the screenplay and details on the production and evolution of the film, and was published by Oxford University Press (South Africa) in 2008.
- Self doubt is always tempered by the desire to achieve something greater than the doubt that holds you back.
- I do think it's important to remain true to yourself and to have faith in your dreams. But having that faith is not enough. You have to fight to realize even a portion of your dreams. But if they're worthwhile, then even that portion is good enough reward.
- [on if you were offered an unlimited budget and a blank cheque to make whatever film you wanted, what would it be?] I'd be pursuing the next project that's my next project anyway. The project you're in love with is like a beautiful girl you're in love with: you don't change her because you've got more money. You take her out for a fancy meal and double your efforts to court her, but the girl remains the same. She's the one you're after. I'm already in love with my next project. I think you have to be in order to get anything done when the odds are stacked pretty steeply against independent filmmakers.
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