Jimi Bani | |
---|---|
Born | Australia |
Education | Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts |
Occupation(s) | Stage and television actor |
Years active | 2006 – present |
Known for | Mabo (2022) |
Jimi Bani is an Indigenous Australian actor, known for his portrayal of land rights activist Eddie Mabo in the 2012 tele-movie Mabo , several television series, and theatre performances.
A Torres Strait Islander (Mabuiag Island) of the Wadagadum people, where his father was a tribal chief, [1] he attended the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. [2] [3]
Bani's first role was in the 2006 mini-series, RAN: Remote Area Nurse , that aired on SBS One.[ citation needed ]
In 2012, he appeared on ABC1's series, The Straits and on the tele-movie Mabo , [2] [4] both of which were nominated for awards. Bani appeared in Redfern Now , a six-part series produced by Blackfella Films that went to air on ABC1 in late 2012.[ citation needed ]
From late 2013 through 2014 Bani performed in The Shadow King for which he received a Helpmann Awards nomination. [5] The play was produced by the Malthouse Theatre in association with the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals – Adelaide Festival, Brisbane Festival, Melbourne Festival, Perth International Arts Festival and Sydney Festival. [6]
Bani was a member of Queensland Theatre’s National Artistic Team to assist Artistic Director Sam Strong with its 2017 season.[ citation needed ]
In 2017 he appeared in a Queensland Theatre production entitled My Name is Jimi which he co-created with Jason Klarwein who also directed the production. The performers included members of his family in a performance which " ... whisks you away to his island for an evening of music, dance, stand-up and storytelling. Four generations of one family take the stage, as Jimi’s grandmother, mother, son and brothers help him spin yarns of totems, traditions and childhood memories". [7] The show was also performed at the Sydney Festival in 2018. [8]
In early 2022 Bani played George in a State Theatre Company South Australia production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? , to acclaim by critics. [9] [10] Later in 2022, Bani and Jason Klarwein staged an adaptation of Othello at Queensland Theatre, set in the Torres Straits. It was originally premiered at Cairns Indigenous Art Fair in 2021. Bani played Othello as a member of the Torres Straits Light Infantry Battalion during World War II. The production was staged in three languages; Kala Lagaw Ya, Yumplatok and English. [11] Performing cultural songs and dances alongside Bani, were his three brothers. [11] [12]
Bani is a father of five children with partner Idelia, and together they live in Cairns, Queensland. He has three brothers – Richard, Gabriel Bani and Conwell. Bani's great-grandfather was a member of the Torres Straits Light Infantry. [12]
Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | WA Equity Foundation | Best Newcomer | Nominated [13] | |
2009 | Yibiyung | Helpmann Awards | Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Nominated [14] |
2012 | The Straits | Deadly Awards | Television Show of the Year (part of the ensemble) | Won [15] |
2012 | BOFA Awards | Best Actor | Won [13] | |
2012 | Mabo | Deadly Awards | Film of the Year (part of the ensemble) | Won [15] |
2012 | Male Actor of the Year | Won [15] | ||
2012 | BOFA Awards | Best Actor | Won [13] | |
2013 | AACTA Awards | AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Nominated [16] | |
2013 | Logie Awards | Silver Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor | Nominated [16] | |
2013 | Equity Ensemble Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Telemovie or Miniseries | Nominated [17] | |
2014 | The Shadow King | Helpmann Award | Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Nominated [5] |
2017 | National Dreamtime Awards | Best Male Actor | Nominated [13] |
Year [13] | Title | Role | Type |
---|---|---|---|
A Thin Black Line | Voice | Virtual reality film |
Year [18] | Title | Role | Type |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | RAN: Remote Area Nurse | Solomon Gaibui | TV miniseries |
2007 | Beautiful Music | Video short | |
2012 | The Straits | Marou Montebello | TV series |
2012 | Mabo | Koiki Eddie Mabo | TV movie |
2012 | Redfern Now | Peter Gibson | TV series, 1 episode |
2012 | The People Speak Australia | Priscilla Conway | Film documentary |
2015 | Ready for This | Nat Brockman | TV series, 2 episodes |
2016 | Black Comedy | Guest Cast | TV series, episodes 2.3, 2.6 |
Mabo v Queensland is a landmark decision of the High Court of Australia that recognised the existence of Native Title in Australia. It was brought by Eddie Mabo and others against the State of Queensland, and decided on 3 June 1992. The case is notable for being the first in Australia to recognise pre-colonial land interests of Indigenous Australians within the common law of Australia.
Edward Koiki Mabo was an Indigenous Australian man from the Torres Strait Islands known for his role in campaigning for Indigenous land rights in Australia, in particular the landmark decision of the High Court of Australia that recognised that indigenous rights to land had continued after the British Crown acquired sovereignty and that the international law doctrine of terra nullius was not applicable to Australian domestic law. High court judges considering the case Mabo v Queensland found in favour of Mabo, which led to the Native Title Act 1993 and established native title in Australia, officially recognising the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia.
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Ernestine Bonita Mabo, was an Australian educator and activist for Aboriginal Australians, Torres Strait Islanders, and Australian South Sea Islanders. She was the wife of Eddie Mabo until his death in 1992.
The Straits is an Australian television drama series for ABC1 filmed in Cairns, the Torres Strait Islands and other Far North Queensland locations.
Mabo is an Australian docudrama TV film, released in 2012, which relates the successful legal battle waged by Torres Strait Islander man Eddie Koiki Mabo to bring about native land title legislation in Australia.
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Mabo: Life of an Island Man is a 1997 Australian documentary film on the life of Indigenous Australian land rights campaigner Eddie Koiki Mabo, directed by Trevor Graham.
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