Ian Gabriel is a South African director of colour whose extensive experience in film and theatre performance began at Dorkay House, Johannesburg’s famous anti-apartheid theatre venue, where he worked with many of South Africa’s legendary jazz and theatre greats. 

His feature film, Four Corners, was the South African Official Submission for Best Foreign 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 directed the Netflix family crime series Ludik, releasing in the spring of 2022. This project saw Ian direct actor Arnold Vosloo, reprising the director – actor relationship the two established when Ian directed Forgiveness, which won the Best South African Film Award and the Best African Film Award, was a Golden Leopard nominee at the2004 Locarno Film Festival, and was winner in the same year at the Locarno Youth Jury Best Film Award and Human Rights Award. 

While completing post production on the series Ludik Ian is scheduled to shoot two independent feature films in 2022, one for delivery to Netflix in September: Runs in the Family is a comedic family road movie and is a collaboration between Ian and his transgender son Gabe which tells the story of an Indian tailor and his trans drag queen son.

Ludik is currently streaming on Netflix.