Ian Dixon completed his PhD at The University of Melbourne, Victorian College of the Arts in 2011. He delivers academic addresses internationally including a plenary speech for CEA in USA (2013) and keynote address in India (2016). Recently, Ian presented two keynotes in The Philippines: for Eduk Circle and LSPU. He won best paper at CMCS conference, University of Southern California. Ian has published internationally and his book I’m Not a Film Star: David Bowie as Actor is currently available - book launch in New York in August 2022: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/search/?q=not%20a%20film%20star

Ian has worked as writer, director, actor and script editor including: film; commercial television; literature and; international theatre. He studied drama, cinema studies and English literature at the University of Adelaide and Flinders University as well as filmmaking at the University of Melbourne, VCA School of Film and Television (where he also completed his PhD). Funded to write feature films through Screen Australia and Film Victoria, Ian’s films have won awards internationally. He has directed television for Neighbours, Blue Heelers and SBS TV and his debut feature film Crushed (writer/director/producer) screened at the world’s largest arthouse chain, Cinema Nova in 2009. Having currently signed a contract to write two new feature films in Australia and Asia, Ian’s directing credits also include Wee Jimmy (half hour drama for SBS TV—which won director commendation at San Francisco International Film Festival, 2000), Interference, The Perimeter, The Raptor Detail and Cut (which won Gold at Australian Cinematographers Society Awards). Ian also has had extensive training as a director including Film Victoria/Australian Film Commission assisted traineeships on Neighbours, Blue Heelers and Horace and Tina.

He has written three novels and has worked as a lecturer in cultural studies, celebrity studies, film theory, television and filmmaking at Deakin University, The University of Melbourne, Victorian College of the Arts, RMIT University, SAE Institute and Open Channel Film School. He works as an independent producer of film and video and has been assistant to the artistic director of the Australia Korea Foundation for the Department of Foreign Affairs.

On stage, Ian took over from Hollywood A-lister Guy Pearce to play the lead in Grease and has performed in many Australian television productions including: Underbelly, Rush, City Homicide, Guinevere Jones, Martial Law, Blue Heelers, Stingers, Heartbreak High, Shadows of the Heart etc.