Sally Aitken is a twice Emmy®-nominated director and writer, and a showrunner of multiple international series. Known for visually arresting work characterized by compassion and humor, she delights in unknown stories, adventurous collaborations, and the world’s complexities. Her most recent film is the Sundance Film Festival hit, Playing with Sharks, the remarkable story of maverick conservationist Valerie Taylor and her love affair with the ocean’s most terrifying predator. Featuring a rich archival palette, the filming of JAWS, and a magnetic central character, the film has been described as “extraordinary,” “visually stunning, enthralling” and “a moving portrait of grace and compassion” and was named one of the top 15 films of the festival by The Hollywood Reporter.
Sally’s debut feature, A Cinematic Life, about esteemed film critic David Stratton and his love affair with the movies, appeared in an official competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. Sally was also nominated for the Camera d’Or. Other major works include directing The Pacific with Sam Neill, a 6-part television series with the actor and raconteur retracing Captain Cook’s voyages and the indigenous perspective on Cook’s impact. Her architectural films include Getting Frank Gehry (2015, BBC/ABC) with the iconoclast starchitect as well as Streets of Your Town (2016, ABC) for which Sally collected both the Australian Director’s Guild Award as well as the Australian Writer’s Award for Best Documentary series.