Ian Wilson was born in Sheffield in 1939. He studied graphic design and photography at the Nottingham School of Art and filmmaking at the London International Film School (now the London Film School).

During the 1960s, he worked for the United Nations and shot documentary footage in Greece. He entered the film business in 1966 as the cinematographer on The Private Right, directed by 27- year-old Greek Cypriot, Michael Papas. ‘As a first film made by a young director with a student crew (from the London School of Film Technique where Papas also studied), the film has a high professional gloss. Much of this is due to the elegant camera work of Ian Wilson, a faculty member at the School.’*

He moved on to shooting short films, commercials and documentaries including the live performance of the rock album The Butterfly Ball and The Grasshopper’s Feast (1977) based on the work of songwriter Roger Glover and the science fiction series Quatermass (1979) directed by Piers Haggard for Euston Films.

In 1982, he received a BAFTA Award nomination for his work on the television series The Flame Trees of Thika, directed by Roy Ward Baker, and in 1986 began a collaboration with director and screenwriter, David Leland, on his films Wish You Were Here (1987), Checking Out (1989) and The Big Man (aka Crossing the Line 1990).

Other notable productions include Edward II (1991 d. Derek Jarman), Backbeat (1994 d. Iain Softley), Erik the Viking (1989 d. Terry Jones), Emma(1996 d. Douglas McGrath) and The Crying Game (1992 d. Neil Jordan), which explores themes of race, gender, nationality and sexuality against the backdrop of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Ian received an Emmy Award nomination in 1999 for A Christmas Carol (d. David Jones) with Patrick Stewart

He became a member of the BSC in 1971.

*UCLA Film Quarterly 1967