Jan Sharp's educational background began with convent boarding schools, where she developed a strong foundation for her future pursuits in the arts. She then pursued Fine Arts at Melbourne University in Australia, a campus that was heavily influenced by the French New Wave cinema movement.
After completing her studies, Sharp progressed to a director's apprenticeship at Film Australia, where she received hands-on training in all aspects of filmmaking. She was part of the first female intake in a traditionally male-dominated industry, paving the way for future female filmmakers.
Sharp's early career was marked by her work on the top-rated documentary series, Chequerboard, for the Australian Broadcasting Commission. She later returned to Film Australia as an Associate Producer and Director, working on two series of documentaries that focused on the challenges faced by adolescents. The first series won the AFI Documentary Award in 1984, while the second series won the same award the following year.
In addition to her work in television, Sharp also made a name for herself in print and radio. She wrote a weekly Saturday column called The Showbiz Column for the Australian newspaper, as well as cultural programs for Radio Australia and radio magazine pieces for the ABC Science Unit.
Sharp's professional life was marked by a series of significant milestones. She worked with her husband, Phillip Noyce, on his first feature film, Newsfront, before returning to Film Australia as a Producer. She became the second woman to join the team, which was previously dominated by middle-aged men.
In 1986, Sharp produced her first feature film, The Good Wife, which was released worldwide by Atlantic Releasing. The film has remained in constant distribution ever since. Her second feature film, Echoes of Paradise, was also released worldwide and has continued to be widely released.
In the 1990s, Sharp wrote and produced the film Wide Sargasso Sea, which was released by New Line Cinema. The film has been widely acclaimed and is currently being studied in college film courses in the US and Australia as a fine example of a screen adaptation of a classic novel.
In recent years, Sharp has turned her attention to video documentaries. She has worked on a range of projects, including a documentary about the life of Gavin Lambert and an inquiry into the nature of celebrity culture. She has also been working on a video diary, Damage Control, which chronicles her journey through a recurrence of cancer.
Despite the challenges posed by her recent cancer diagnosis, Sharp has continued to work on her feature films. River's Children, a film set on the Murray River in Australia, is scheduled to be directed by John Irvin later this year. Shanghai Story, a film set in Shanghai, is expected to be released next year.
