Mitch Torres
Michelle "Mitch" Rose Torres (born 1964), also credited as Michelle Torres-Hill, is an Aboriginal 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 working at ABC Television. After this she 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.

Torres 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 was born in 1964. She is of Djugun, Gooniyandi, Jabirr Jabirr, Walmadjari, and Yawuru descent from Broome, Western Australia. Her great-grandfather was a Filipino pearl diver, Catalino Torres, who married the Jabirr Jabirr woman Matilda Ida Tiolbadonga in 1898. 

A lover of dance, she studied at the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre, where she was able to attain her first acting role for The Fringe Dwellers. She played the role of Rosie in the 1990 theatrical production of Bran Nue Dae.

Career
As of 2022, Torres had been in the media industry for over 35 years, with work in acting, directing, producing, writing, TV journalism and presenter, radio broadcast producer and presenter, and theatrical writer and director.

Initially as an actor, with credits in The Fringe Dwellers and Tudawali. Torres played the central role in the 1986 mockumentary BabaKiueria as the reporter Duranga Manika, following the lives of a "‘typical’ white family" and describing a football match as "ritualised violence", betting at the TAB as a religion, and the Anzac Day March as a ritual where they "honour their warrior ancestors". In 1988 she started working as a journalist, becoming the first Indigenous on-air presenter for SBS Television. She then entered the ABC Television cadetship program. She was the first presenter and a field journalist for GWN7's Millbindi program. 

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

In the mid-1990s, Torres moved to filmmaking, with her first short drama, Promise, being a contribution to the Shifting Sands Short Drama Initiative (SBS-TV). Then making documentaries such as Jandamarra's War and Whispering in our Hearts. She recalled stumbling across the lead actor for Jandamarra's War serendipitously whilst in the Muludja Aboriginal Community. As of 2021, Torres focuses on dramas, with previous work in documentaries and theatrical plays. She was credited as "Michelle Torres-Hill" in the 1990s.

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

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 and 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.

Companies
She is the owner of the film company Ngarra Ngarra Film, who has collaborated with Ramu Productions for television series such as Seven. Alongside her sister Ali, Torres is the owner of Mijinalii, which specialises on soap, candle, and body products who worked in collaboration with the Maganda Makers Business Club.

Personal life
Torres' son Cornel Ozies works as a cinematographer and works for his family's production company Wawili Pitjas. He previously worked on the sets of The Great Gatsby, The Sapphires, and Thor: Ragnarok. 

Torres is related to actresses Ningali Lawford and Shari Sebbens.

Other activities
In 2022, Torres was appointed to the Arts and Culture Trust board, which replaced the Perth Theatre Trust. 

She served as an ambassador in 2022 for the CinefestOZ film festival. 

Works
Acting credits
 Year Title Role  1986Babakiueria Duranga Manika 1986The Fringe Dwellers Audrena1987Slate, Wyn & Me Daphne 1987TudawaliKate Wilson 1988Emerald City Kath1990Don't Tell Her It's MeTicket Agent

Filmmaking credits
 Year Title Director Writer Notes  1998 Promise 2000 Behind the Ball 2001Whispering in Our Hearts: Uncovering the Mowla Bluff Massacre 2001 Saltwater Bluesman 2002 One Day in '67 Play 2002 Muttacar Sorry Business With David Milroy 2005 Case 442 – A Son’s Journey to Find His Mother 2007–2009The Circuit Dir. Beck Cole and Kelly Lefever, Series 1 and 2 2007 Bollywood Dreaming Dir. Cornel Ozies 2007 Jarlmadangah: Our Dream Our Reality 2007Double Troublewith David Ogilvy, episodes 5, 6, 102010 Nyirr Marie 2010 Keepers of the Story: Jandamarra 2010 Lookin from the River Out2011 Jandamarra's War 2016Willis Yu 2016Rosie Mulligan

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.

 Year Nominated Work Award Category Result Source 2007 The Circuit AWGIE Awards Television Award — Mini Series Original   Deadly Sounds Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music, Sport, Entertainment and Community Awards Excellence in Film & Theatrical Score   Australian Film Institute Television Awards Best Screenplay in Television   Human Rights Award Television Award   2009 The Circuit (Series 2) AWGIE Awards Television Award — Mini-series - Original  2010Australian Film Institute Television Awards Best Television Drama Series 2011Jandamarra's War Deadly Sounds Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music, Sport, Entertainment and Community Awards Film of the Year Australian Teachers of Media Awards Best DocudramaBest Documentary Biography Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards  Best Documentary Under One Hour

References

Category:Living people
Category:21st-century Australian actresses
Category:20th-century Australian actresses
Category:Australian film actresses
Category:Australian television actresses
Category:People from Broome, Western Australia
Category:Australian people of Filipino descent
Category:Indigenous Australians from Western Australia
Category:Indigenous Australian actresses
Category:Indigenous Australian poets
Category:Indigenous Australian filmmakers
Category:Indigenous Australian dancers
Category:Australian women radio personalities
Category:Australian women radio presenters
Category:Australian women television journalists
Category:Australian women television presenters
Category:Australian women television writers
Category:Australian women film directors
Category:Australian women film producers
Category:Australian women writers
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Australian women company founders
Category:Australian film production company founders