Kutcha’s Koorioke

John is of Saibai Island (Torres Strait) and English descent and is a director, producer and writer across screen and stage. He is the Creative Director of Brown Cabs. John wrote and directed the short drama WATER (ABC, Melbourne International Film Festival, Adelaide FF, ImagineNative – Toronto). His second short drama OUT OF RANGE (SBS / Film Victoria) screened at: SBS Short Film Festival; MIFF; Tampere Film Festival (Finland); St Kilda Film Festival (Best Indigenous Short Film); The Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival (Best Short Film). John is the director and co-producer of web series KUTCHA’S CARPOOL KOORIOKE. John produced SPEAR (TIFF, Adelaide Film Festival), and was a producer on ABC TV Series THE WARRIORS (Arenamedia). He produced the chapter SAND for the omnibus feature film THE TURNING (Berlinale, MIFF) along with several Indigenous short films.

In theatre, John wrote and produced the highly acclaimed HEART IS A WASTELAND (Brown Cabs / Malthouse Theatre, 2017). John co-wrote 2020 AsiaTopa & Sydney Festival hit BLACK TIES (Ilbijerri Theatre / Te Rehia Theatre) with the work selling out in Perth, Auckland and Wellington. John is currently writing THE RETURN for Malthouse Theatre. He directed A LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN (Orana Arts) for the Yirramboi Festival (Melbourne). John is currently commissioned by ACMI (Australian Centre for Moving Image, Melbourne) to create a multi-channel video installation work for the new centre. He collaborated with Melbourne based Torres Strait Islander artist Ricardo Idagi creating the video element of Idagi’s 2011 New Media Telstra Award Winning work.

He is the former General Manager of Ilbijerri Theatre where he produced many new Indigenous works including: Kutcha Edwards SONGLINES OF A MUTTI MUTTI MAN; 7 DEADLY GINS (with Kutcha at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre); and the Awards Winning Street theatre work on the streets of Fitzroy – THE DIRTY MILE.

Anna is an award winning, independent documentary producer, director, writer and script editor. She has produced for the NITV, ABC, SBS, BBC and CBS and has worked as an assessor for most Australian screen agencies and the New Zealand Film Commission.

Anna is a partner in Tamarind Tree Pictures with Danielle MacLean and Steve McGregor (Mystery Road, Cowriter Sweet Country) a majority Indigenous owned production company based in the Northern Territory and Victoria. With TTP she co-produced the feature documentary and Foxtel finalist about survivors of the Stolen Generations CROKER ISLAND EXODUS broadcast ABC and screened Melbourne/Sydney and FIFO, Reel World, Canada. With Director Daniele MacLean she produced for NITV Carry The Flag about the designer of the Torres Strait Flag selected for international festivals including MaoriLand and ImagineNATIVE. She was one of the producers of the NITV documentary LOOKY LOOKY HERE COMES COOKY a modern-day songline for 21st Century Australia that tells the Indigenous story of connection to Country, resistance and survival throughout history.
Anna was Executive Producer at Film Australia for eight years where she developed, commissioned and executive produced a slate of award winning documentary production from dramatised & investigative history to comic animation series including Digital Learning where she was responsible for development & commissioning 17 award winning websites.Production credits include THE FAMILY feature documentary and three hour series, The Cult of The Family, both now in international release. The multi award winning, DHAKIYARR VS THE KING shot in Blue Mud Bay, the first Australian documentary selected for Sundance Film Festival, Land of the Morning Star about the history of West Papua.

Anna works with Monash University producing and directing the digital series Science Stories featuring 25 leading scientists and students studying Global Challenges. She has a BA Hons from Monash University specialising in visual arts and law and a BA from Australian Film Television and Radio School in producing. Anna is Co-Producer of Big Stories, Small Towns www.bigstories.com an evolving webseries and winner of many international awards for storytelling including SxSW ands IDFA in the Netherlands.