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Ivan Sen

Ivan Sen

Director, writer, producer, cinematographer, composer and editor · Born January 1, 1972 (54) · Nambour, Queensland, Australia

Ivan Sen (born 1972; Nambour, Queensland) is an Australian filmmaker. He is a director, screenwriter and cinematographer, as well as an editor, composer and sound designer. He is co-founder and director of Bunya Productions. Throughout the late 1990s Ivan Sen worked on numerous short films, before making his feature film debut with Beneath Clouds in 2002. It won Ivan global acclaim, screening at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and winning the Premiere First Movie Award at the 2002 Berlin Film Festival and the 2002 Best Director Award at the Australian Film Institute Awards. Ivan has subsequently written and produced a number of award winning documentaries. His documentary Yellow Fella screened in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005. In 2011 Ivan completed his feature Toomelah, which was selected for the Cannes International Film Festival 2011 - Un Certain Regard. The world premiere of the film at Cannes received a standing ovation. The film won the Grand Prix at the Pacific Meridian Film Festival 2011 and the UNESCO Prize at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2011. In 2013 Ivan completed the feature film Mystery Road starring Aaron Pedersen, Hugo Weaving, Ryan Kwanten, Tasma Walton and Jack Thompson. Mystery Road had its international premiere with a "Special Presentation"at the 2013 Toronto Film Festival. Ivan is an Executive Producer on the successful tv adaptation of Mystery Road. In 2015 Ivan directed his Goldstone starring Aaron Pedersen, Alex Russell, Jacki Weaver, David Gulpilil, Cheng Pei Pei and David Wenham.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 1, 1972 (54)
From
Nambour, Queensland, Australia
Works as
Director, writer, producer, cinematographer, composer and editor
Titles
7 on MovieCove · 30 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 14% in 30 days

What are Ivan Sen's films like?

Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Morality.

Genres

Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
25%
Morality
21%
Self
16%
Power
14%
Survival
13%
Bonds
10%
Justice2 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 1 · Dark 4

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 3 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 3 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 0 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 2

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 3

Ambiguous: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their ambiguous movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 0 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
4
Contemplative
4
Melancholic
3
Hopeful
2
Absurd
1

How their films linger

Thought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Ivan Sen's films?

As of October 24, 2026, all 7 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ivan Sen's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

30 credits, 7 with a MovieCove page.

  • Limbo(2023)

    Director · Cinematographer · Co-Producer · Composer · Editor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Mystery Road: Origin(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Expired(2022)

    Director · Cinematographer · Composer · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Mystery Road(2018)

    Show 12 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows

  • Goldstone(2016)

    Director · Cinematographer · Composer · Editor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Mystery Road(2013)

    Director · Cinematographer · Composer · Editor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Toomelah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Cinematographer · Composer · Editor · Writer

  • Shifting Shelter 4 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer · Writer

  • Dreamland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Cinematographer · Composer · Sound Editor · Writer

  • Fire Talker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Embassy Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • Men's Gathering (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • A Sister's Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director · Cinematographer · Composer · Editor · Producer · Writer

  • The Dreamers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Broken Borders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Aunty Connie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Shifting Shelter 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer · Writer

  • Yellow Fella (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Who was Evelyn Orcher? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • My Mother India (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Gaffer

  • Beneath Clouds(2002)

    Director · Composer · Music Producer · Title Illustration · Writer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Shifting Shelter 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer · Writer

  • Dust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Composer · Writer

  • Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Director · Writer

  • Tears (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director · Composer · Writer

  • Vanish (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer

  • Journey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Message Stick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 7 episodes · Director · Producer · Writer

  • Shifting Shelter 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer · Writer

  • Warm Strangers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director · Post Production Supervisor · Producer · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 30 titles from 1997 to 2023.

Biggest box office

Goldstone (2016)

$650K worldwide

Highest rated

Beneath Clouds (2002)

Midcredits 75th

Most popular right now

Limbo (2023)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing27 of 30: 1 only directing, 26 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thWriting25 of 30: 0 only writing, 25 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thProducing18 of 30: 2 only producing, 16 with another roleMusic10 of 30: 0 only music, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thCinematography13 of 30: 0 only cinematography, 13 with another roleEditing6 of 30: 0 only editing, 6 with another roleOther crew4 of 30: 1 only other crew, 3 with another role

30 titles, 26 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 25 of them.

By decade

1990s8 · crew2000s14 · crew2010s5 · crew2020s3 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Ivan Sen's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 68th percentile, the median of all 5; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 7 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th4
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 7 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · director, writer, producer, composer, cinematographer, editor

Expired (2022)

73rd percentile spread · 64% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

Mystery Road: Origin (2022)

Midcredits 77th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 78/100 and the pacing 37/100 in their films, across 5 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Ivan Sen work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ivan Sen's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; David Jowsey shares the most, 4.

Actors

Producers