Darren Dale

Darren Dale
Born	Northern New South Wales, Australia
Occupation(s)	Film and television producer
Years active	2001–present
Known for	Managing director at Blackfella Films; producer of First Australians, The Tall Man, Mabo, Ready for This, Maralinga Tjarutja, Total Control

Darren Dale is an Indigenous Australian film and television producer who currently holds the position of managing director at Blackfella Films. He became part of the company in 2001 and subsequently advanced to co-director alongside its founder, Rachel Perkins. Since 2010, Dale has regularly worked with producer Miranda Dear, most recently collaborating on the second season of Total Control.

Early life and education

Dale is a member of the Bundjalung community from northern New South Wales.

Career

Among Dale's early achievements at Blackfella Films was producing First Australians, a seven-episode documentary that aired on SBS Television in 2008. The series received multiple awards and remains Australia's top-selling educational title, with distribution extending internationally.

He was the producer of the 2011 documentary The Tall Man, directed by Tony Krawitz, which examines the death in custody of Cameron Doomadgee. This film garnered several honors, including the prestigious Walkley Documentary Award. Other significant projects under his production include First Contact—which won the 2015 Logie Award for Most Outstanding Factual Program—along with Filthy Rich & Homeless, DNA Nation, Deep Water: The Real Story, and In My Own Words, directed by Erica Glynn.

In 2012, Dale partnered with Dear to produce the telemovie Mabo, a docudrama centered on Eddie Mabo's fight for land rights, directed by Perkins. He also co-created and served as executive producer for the acclaimed children's series Ready for This released in 2015.

Dale produced the 2020 documentary Maralinga Tjarutja, which focuses on communities impacted by British nuclear testing, created by Larissa Behrendt for ABC Television. The inaugural season of Total Control debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019 and secured the AACTA Award for Best TV Drama.

In 2023, Dale co-produced the ABC documentary series First Weapons alongside Dena Curtis, which investigates the science behind traditional Aboriginal weaponry through conversations with both artisans and scientific experts.

Other roles

From 2002 to 2011, Dale and Perkins, as directors of Blackfella Films, curated and produced the Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival, held at the Sydney Opera House before touring across Australia. In 2012, Dale curated a program titled Blackfella Films Presents, featuring Indigenous cinema at major events such as the Sydney Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, and Brisbane International Film Festival.

He was a board member of Screen NSW between 2011 and 2015 and served on the Council of the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) from 2012 until 2018, taking on the role of deputy chair in 2014. Additionally, he held a position on the board of ACMI.

In August 2024, Dale received an appointment from the Australian Government to join the board of Screen Australia for a three-year term. As of that date, he also holds board memberships at both the Sydney Film Festival and the National Institute of Dramatic Art, while acting as deputy chair of the Sydney Festival board. Furthermore, he participates in the NSW Government's Creative Communities Council and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Recognition and awards

Dale has been honored with the UNAA Media Peace Awards on two occasions, in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, he and Perkins were positioned 16th on the Encore Power 50 list. The Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) awarded him an honorary degree in 2012.

In July 2021, Dale was inducted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, joining a distinguished group of Australian filmmakers. A portrait of Dale painted by Ben Smith, entitled If you can see it, you can be it, was shortlisted as a finalist for the Archibald Prize in 2024.

Dale’s projects have received numerous esteemed accolades:

• 2008: First Australians garnered multiple awards such as the AACTA Awards, AWGIE Awards, Logie Award, and Australian Directors' Guild Awards.
• 2011: Awarded the Walkley Documentary Award and AWGIE Award for Best Broadcast Documentary for The Tall Man.
• 2014: Received the AACTA Award for Best Television Drama Series for Redfern Now.
• 2015: Honored with the AACTA Award for Best Children's Television Series for Ready for This; also won the Logie Award for Most Outstanding Factual Program for First Contact.
• 2020: Secured the Silver Award at the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards for Maralinga Tjarutja.
• 2023: Episode 1 of The Australian Wars was awarded the Digital History Prize at the New South Wales Premier's History Awards.