Mitch Torres

Last updated

Mitch Torres
Mitch Torres by Jane Hammond.jpg
Torres in 2018
Born
Michelle Rose Torres

1964 (age 59–60)
Broome, Western Australia, Australia
Other namesMichelle Torres-Hill
Occupation(s)Actress, director, journalist, playwright, producer, radio presenter, and writer
Years active1986–present
Notable work BabaKiueria (1986)
Whispering in Our Hearts (2001)
Muttacar Sorry Business (2002)
Jandamarra's War (2011)
Kriol Kitchen (2014-2015)

Michelle "Mitch" Rose Torres (born 1964), also credited as Michelle Torres-Hill, is an Australian actress, director, journalist, playwright, producer, radio presenter, and writer. She began as an actress, playing the main role in the 1986 film BabaKiueria . She then worked as a journalist, becoming the first Indigenous Australian on-air presenter for SBS Television, and worked at ABC Television. She then worked for Indigenous radio stations as a broadcaster, producer, and presenter. She moved into filmmaking in the mid-1990s, with her first short film Promise for SBS-TV. Among her works include the documentary Jandamarra's War and the play Muttacar Sorry Business .

Contents

Torres has received an AWGIE Award, Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, Human Rights Award, and Australian Teachers of Media Awards for her work on The Circuit and Jandamarra's War. In 2021, she was awarded an honorary degree from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.

Early life and education

Michelle Rose Torres [1] [2] was born in 1964. [3] She is of Djugun, Gooniyandi, Jabirr Jabirr, Walmadjari, and Yawuru descent from Broome, Western Australia. [4] [5] Her great-grandfather was a Filipino pearl diver, Catalino Torres, who married the Jabirr Jabirr woman Matilda Ida Tiolbadonga in 1898. [6] [7] A lover of dance, Torres studied at the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre, where she was able to attain her first acting role for The Fringe Dwellers . [8] She played the role of Rosie in the 1990 theatrical production of Bran Nue Dae . [9]

Career

As of 2022, Torres had been in the media industry for over 35 years, with work in acting, directing, producing, writing, [4] [10] TV journalism, and presenting. [5] [8] Torres began her media career as an actor, with credits in The Fringe Dwellers and Tudawali . [4] She played the central role in the 1986 mockumentary BabaKiueria as the reporter Duranga Manika, [11] [12] where she followed the lives of a "'typical' white family" and described a football match as "ritualised violence" and betting at the TAB as a religion. [13] In 1988, she started working as a journalist, becoming the first Indigenous on-air presenter for SBS Television. [4] [10] [8] [14] Torres then entered the ABC Television cadetship program. [10] [8] [14] She was the first presenter and a field journalist for GWN7's Millbindi program. [10] [8]

After work in television journalism, Torres worked as a broadcaster for Indigenous radio stations Goolari and WAAMA6NR, then for ABC Kimberley as the morning show's presenter and producer. [10] [8] [14] Alongside her sister Ali Torres, she was the host for the National Indigenous Television program Kriol Kitchen . [15] [16] The series served to educate viewers on the traditional cuisines of the Kimberley Region and highlight some of the scenery of the region. [15] Torres was the primary presenter, while Ali took a background role; in an interview with SBS Food Mitch was referred to as a "self-proclaimed damper destroyer". [16]

In the mid-1990s, Torres moved to filmmaking. Her first short drama, Promise, [8] was a contribution to the Shifting Sands Short Drama Initiative (SBS-TV). [10] [14] She then made documentaries such as Jandamarra's War [17] and Whispering in our Hearts . [10] [14] She recalled stumbling across the lead actor for the former serendipitously whilst in the Muludja Aboriginal Community. [17] By 2021, Torres was focusing on dramas, with previous work in documentaries and theatrical plays. [14] She was credited as "Michelle Torres-Hill" in the 1990s. [9]

In 2006, Torres and David Milroy wrote the theatrical production Muttacar Sorry Business with funding from the Insurance Commission of Western Australia. [18] The show highlights social determinants including alcohol, risk-taking behaviours, and overcrowding and the resulting high incidence of road trauma among Indigenous communities. [18] The production was expanded into Northern Territory's road safety programs. [19]

In September 2020, Torres was selected as one of eight participants in a new writing and directing initiative organised by WA Indigenous production companies Pink Pepper and Ramu Productions, along with New Zealand company Brown Sugar Apple Grunt, called the RED project. The project consisted of development workshops enabling each participant to write and direct a 10-minute short film, which would be part of a single anthology 80-minute feature film (working title RED) consisting of stories from a female Aboriginal perspective. The other participants were Ngaire Pigram, Debbie Carmody, Kelli Cross, Karla Hart, Chantelle Murray, Jub Clerc, and Kodie Bedford. [10] [20]

Personal life

Torres is the owner of the film company Nagarra Nagarra Film, which has collaborated with Ramu Productions for television series such as Seven. [14] Alongside her sister Ali, she is the owner of Mijinalii, which specialises in soap, candle, and body products and worked in collaboration with the Maganda Makers Business Club. [21] Torres' son Cornel Ozies works as a cinematographer and for his family's production company Wawili Pitjas. [22] [23] He previously worked on the sets of The Great Gatsby , The Sapphires , and Thor: Ragnarok . [23] Torres is related to actresses Ningali Lawford and Shari Sebbens. [22] In 2022, Torres was appointed to the Arts and Culture Trust Board, which replaced the Perth Theatre Trust. [5] She served as an ambassador in 2022 for the CinefestOZ film festival. [8]

Works

Acting credits

YearTitleRoleRef.
1986 Babakiueria Duranga Manika [24]
1986 The Fringe Dwellers Audrena [24]
1987 Slate, Wyn & Me Daphne [25]
1987 Tudawali Kate Wilson [26]
1988 Emerald City Kath [24]
1990 Don't Tell Her It's Me Ticket Agent [27]

Filmmaking credits

YearTitleDirectorWriterNotesRef.
1998PromiseYesYes [28]
2000Behind the BallYes [28]
2001Whispering in Our Hearts: Uncovering the Mowla Bluff MassacreYes [28]
2001Saltwater BluesmanYesYes [28] [29]
2002One Day in '67YesPlay [28] [30]
2002Muttacar Sorry BusinessYesYesWith David Milroy [28]
2005Case 442 – A Son's Journey to Find His MotherYesYes [28] [31]
2007–2009 The Circuit YesDir. Beck Cole and Kelly Lefever, Series 1 and 2 [28] [32]
2007Bollywood DreamingYesDir. Cornel Ozies [28] [33]
2007Jarlmadangah: Our Dream Our RealityYesYes [28] [34]
2007 Double Trouble Yeswith David Ogilvy, episodes 5, 6, 10 [28] [35]
2010Nyirr MarieYesYes [28] [36]
2010Keepers of the Story: JandamarraYesYes [28] [37]
2010Lookin from the River OutYes [28]
2011Jandamarra's WarYesYes [28] [38]
2016Willis YuYesYes [28] [39]
2016Rosie MulliganYes [28] [40]

Recognition and awards

In 2021, in recognition of her work in the field, Torres was presented with an honorary doctorate from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. [8] [14]

YearNominated WorkAwardCategoryResultSource
2007The Circuit AWGIE Awards Television Award — Mini Series OriginalNominated [41]
Deadly Sounds Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music, Sport, Entertainment and Community Awards Excellence in Film & Theatrical ScoreWon [41]
Australian Film Institute Television Awards Best Screenplay in Television Nominated [41]
Human Rights Award Television AwardWon [41]
2009The Circuit (Series 2) AWGIE Awards Television Award — Mini-series - OriginalWon [41]
2010 Australian Film Institute Television Awards Best Television Drama SeriesNominated [41]
2011Jandamarra's War Deadly Sounds Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music, Sport, Entertainment and Community Awards Film of the YearNominated [41]
Australian Teachers of Media Awards Best DocudramaWon [41]
Best Documentary BiographyWon [41]
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards Best Documentary Under One HourWon [41]

Related Research Articles

The Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) is an organisation founded in 1980 to expose Aboriginal music and culture to the rest of Australia. It started with 8KIN-FM, the first Aboriginal radio station in the country. Based in Alice Springs, the organisation is particularly focused on the involvement of the local Indigenous community in its production. CAAMA is involved in radio, television and recorded music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deborah Mailman</span> Australian actress

Deborah Jane Mailman is an Australian television and film actress, and singer. Mailman is known for her characters: Kelly Lewis on the Australian drama series The Secret Life of Us, Cherie Butterfield in the Australian comedy-drama series Offspring, Lorraine in the Australian drama series Redfern Now and Aunt Linda in the Australian dystopian science fiction series Cleverman. Mailman portrayed the lead role of MP Alexandra "Alex" Irving on the Australian political drama series Total Control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Sen</span> Australian filmmaker

Ivan Sen is an Indigenous 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, and known for the 2013 film Mystery Road, its sequel Goldstone (2016), and the 2023 mystery-crime film Limbo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Fa'aoso</span> Australian actor, screenwriter and producer

Aaron Fa'aoso is an Australian actor, screenwriter and producer, known for his roles in East West 101, The Straits and Black Comedy. He established Lonestar Productions in 2013, which brings stories of the people of the Torres Strait Islands and north Queensland to the screen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Perkins</span> Australian filmmaker

Rachel Perkins is an Indigenous Australian film and television director, producer, and screenwriter. She founded and was co-director of the independent film production company Blackfella Films from 1992 until 2022. Perkins and the company were responsible for producing First Australians (2008), an award-winning documentary series that remains the highest-selling educational title in Australia, and which Perkins regards as her most important work. She directed the films Radiance (1998), One Night the Moon (2001), Bran Nue Dae (2009), the courtroom drama telemovie Mabo (2012), and Jasper Jones (2017). The acclaimed television drama series Redfern Now was made by Blackfella Films, and Perkins directed two episodes as well as the feature-length conclusion to the series, Promise Me (2015).

Ursula Yovich is an Aboriginal Australian actress and singer. She is known for numerous stage appearances, for co-writing and appearing in the rock musical Barbara and the Camp Dogs (2017), and several film and TV appearances.

Rachael Zoa Maza, also credited as Rachael Maza Long, is an Indigenous Australian television and film actress, and stage director. She is known for her role in the 1998 film Radiance, and worked with Company B and Wesley Enoch in Sydney for many years. She has been artistic director and of Ilbijerri Theatre Company since 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warwick Thornton</span> Australian film director

Warwick Thornton is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and cinematographer. His debut feature film Samson and Delilah won the Caméra d'Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and the award for Best Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. He also won the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Film in 2017 for Sweet Country.

Shari Sebbens is an Aboriginal Australian actress and stage director, known for her debut film role in The Sapphires (2012), as well as many stage and television performances. After a two-year stint as resident director of the Sydney Theatre Company (STC), in 2023 she will be directing productions by STC and Griffin in Sydney, as well as Melbourne Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne. She is on the board of Back to Back Theatre.

Priscilla "Cilla" Atkins, is a prominent Aboriginal leader, advocate and television producer. Atkins was the Chief Executive Officer of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA), the largest law firm in the Northern Territory of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trisha Morton-Thomas</span> Australian Indigenous writer, producer and actor

Patricia Morton-Thomas, usually credited as Trisha Morton-Thomas, is an Australian writer, producer, director, and actor. Her first role in a feature film was in Radiance (1998), the first feature film by director Rachel Perkins. Morton-Thomas and Rachel Clements co-founded filmmaking company Brindle Films in Alice Springs in 2011.

Alfreda "Freda" Glynn, also known as Freda Thornton, is a Kaytetye photographer and media specialist. She is known as co-founder of the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association Group of Companies, which incorporates CAAMA and Imparja.

Rhoda Ann Roberts is an Australian theatre and arts director, arts executive, television presenter, and actor. She was head of Indigenous programming at the Sydney Opera House from 2012 until 2021, among many other roles. She is also a highly respected Aboriginal elder, being afforded the title "Aunty". She was a co-founder of the Aboriginal National Theatre Trust in 1987; has written for, produced, and presented work on television; was a producer at the Indigenous media agency Vibe Australia; founded the Festival of the Dreaming in 1997; and was cultural advisor for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She has also acted in, written, and directed numerous stage productions.

Erica Glynn is an Indigenous Australian filmmaker, known for directing, producing and writing documentaries and other films.

Beck Cole is an Australian filmmaker of the Warramungu and Luritja nations. She is known for her work on numerous TV series, including First Australians, Grace Beside Me, Black Comedy and Wentworth, as well as documentaries and short films. She is based in Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory.

Danielle MacLean is an Australian filmmaker. She is known for her writing on television series such as Little J & Big Cuz, 8MMM Aboriginal Radio and Redfern Now.

Steven McGregor is an Australian filmmaker, known for his work on Redfern Now, Black Comedy, Sweet Country, and numerous documentaries, including My Brother Vinnie.

Jub Clerc, also known as Suzanne Jub Clerc, is a Indigenous Australian actor, playwright, film director, and screenwriter. She has worked in film and television since the early 2000s and has also worked in theatre. She is best known for her 2022 debut feature Sweet As.

David Jowsey is an Australian film producer, co-founder of Bunya Productions. He is known for producing many films made by Indigenous Australian filmmakers. Bunya Productions' co-owners are Indigenous filmmaker Ivan Sen, and Jowsey's wife Greer Simpkin.

Dena Curtis is an Australian film producer and director. She is known for writing and directing several short films, and directed the first series of ABC Television comedy series 8MMM Aboriginal Radio in 2015. She co-developed and co- produced the 2018 children's TV series Grace Beside Me, and co-produced the documentary series First Weapons (2023) and Firebite (2024). She is the owner of production company Inkey Media in Brisbane, Queensland.

References

  1. ↑ "Nagarra Nagarra Films Pty Ltd". Dun & Bradstreet . Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  2. ↑ "Torres, Mitch - Full record view". Libraries Australia. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  3. ↑ "Torres, Mitch (1964-)". Trove . National Library of Australia . Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Mitch Torres". Taiwan International Ethnographic Film Festival . Academia Sinica. 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 "Mitch Torres". Business News. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  6. ↑ Ruiz Wall, Deborah (30 June 2017). Re-imagining Australia: Voices of Indigenous Australians of Filipino descent. Keeaira Press. ISBN   978-0-9923241-5-5 . Retrieved 30 August 2024.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  7. ↑ Wall, Deborah Ruiz (23 January 2019). "The Link Between Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and the Philippines". Positively Filipino | Online Magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Bell, Jodie (1 November 2022). "MEET FIRST NATIONS FINEST AT CINEFESTOZ BROOME FREE COMMUNITY EVENTS!". CinefestOZ . Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  9. 1 2 Pinne, Peter (7 March 2020). "Bran Nue Dae (Part 1)". Theatre Heritage Australia. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Biddle, Alexandra (29 September 2020). "Eight Powerful, Female Indigenous Writer/Directors Selected as Part of RED". Screenwest. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  11. ↑ van Schijndel, Mariska (26 October 2018). "'Babakiueria': How a mockumentary fights against Orientalism". Diggit Magazine. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  12. ↑ Weaver-Hightower, Rebecca (2006). "Revisting the Vanquished: Indigenous Perspectives on Colonial Encounters". Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies. 6 (2): 93. doi:10.1353/jem.2006.0010. ISSN   1531-0485. JSTOR   40339575 . Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  13. ↑ Matthews, Kate. "Babakiueria: 'This strange and fascinating people'". National Film and Sound Archive. Government of Australia. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "AFTRS Honorary Degrees For Lynette Wallworth, Cherie Romaro and Mitch Torres". Australian Film Television and Radio School. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  15. 1 2 Laden, Carly (25 October 2019). "Kriol Kitchen is a real appetiser". Broome Advertiser. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  16. 1 2 Hegarty, Siobhan (29 January 2015). "18 minutes with Mitch Torres". SBS Food . Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  17. 1 2 Prior, Flip (7 August 2010). "Film project brings history to life". Yahoo News. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  18. 1 2 Fotheringham, Richard; Smith, James (1 November 2013). Catching Australian Theatre in the 2000s. Rodopi. ISBN   978-94-012-1003-4 . Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  19. ↑ McCarthy, Gerald (14 May 2010). "Muttacar Sorry Business reaching a greater audience". Territory Stories. Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  20. ↑ "Eight female Indigenous writer-directors selected for anthology feature 'RED'". IF Magazine . 30 September 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  21. ↑ "100% Indigenous owned and women-led: the story of Ali and Mitch Torres and their business 'Mijinalii'". Good Return. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  22. 1 2 Jopson, Debra (6 June 2016). "Songlines that criss-cross Australia televised as a series for the first time". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  23. 1 2 Clark, Lucie (15 June 2020). "Cornel Ozies on directing Our Law, a documentary about Western Australia's first Indigenous-run police station". Vogue. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  24. 1 2 3 "Michelle Torres". ASO - Australia's audio and visual heritage online. National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  25. ↑ Gillard, Gary (17 September 2013). "Don McLennan". Australian Cinema. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  26. ↑ Korff, Jens (27 December 2018). "Tudawali (Film)". Creative Spirits. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  27. ↑ "Don't Tell Her It's Me (1990)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . American Film Institute. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Mitch Torres". AustLit. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  29. ↑ "Saltwater Bluesman (2001) - The Screen Guide". National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Government of Australia. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  30. ↑ "One Day in '67 by Mitch Torres". ABC Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 13 February 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  31. ↑ "Case 442: For what purpose?". National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Government of Australia. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  32. ↑ "The Circuit series 1 (2007) - The Screen Guide". Screen Australia. Australian Government. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  33. ↑ "Bollywood Dreaming (2007) - The Screen Guide". Screen Australia. Australian Government. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  34. ↑ "JARLMADANGAH: Our Dream Our Reality [from the CAAMA Collection]". Ronin Films. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  35. ↑ "Double Trouble Episode Guide". Australiantelevision.net. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013.
  36. ↑ "NYIRR-MARIE [from the CAAMA Collection]". Ronin Films. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  37. ↑ "KEEPERS OF THE STORY - Jandamarra [from the CAAMA Collection]". - Ronin Films. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  38. ↑ "Mitch (Michelle) Torres - The Screen Guide". Screen Australia. Australian Government. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  39. ↑ "Willis Yu (2016) - The Screen Guide". Screen Australia. Australian Government. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  40. ↑ "Rosie Mulligan (2016) - The Screen Guide". Screen Australia. Australian Government. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  41. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Mitch Torres". AustLit. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.