Mark Jones – Writer, Producer, Director, Camera
Mark Jones has lived and worked throughout the Northwest of Western Australia since 1976. Over his 28 year professional film career Mark has had the opportunity to work intimately with many Elders and Traditional Owners and their representative organisations. Over this time he has earned their trust and has become their preferred film maker (storyteller). Mark’s deep relationships with the indigenous of the North give him unrivalled access to sacred places and story, something that he is deeply honoured by and eternally grateful for. His passion for the camera, the Kimberley and its original peoples con=nues to drive Mark and the stories he wants to tell.
As a child, he grew up in the outback town of Roebourne, Western Australia where his interest in indigenous Australians was first sparked. He returned back to “The North” in 1992, to the small pearling town of Broome after completing a university degree. Here he began his career behind the camera with iconic Australian adventure film maker, Malcolm Douglas. It was an unorthodox pathway into the film industry, sharing the responsibilities of film making with Malcolm’s other passion, saltwater crocodiles. It was heady days for a young man with adventure in his eyes.
Mark’s first trip into the Kimberley in ’93, with Malcolm and his faithful red heeler ‘Boondie’, produced Malcolm’s seminal adventure documentary ‘A Kimberley Adventure’ (3 x 1 hour) which was screened across the nation each Sunday evening at 6.30pm (Channel 7). It was on this first adventure that Mark fell in love with the Kimberley region and the ancient indigenous culture which would become his life long passion and professional career. His collaboration with Malcolm would go on to span 18 years and 15 films until Malcolm’s death in 2010.
With the skills that Mark had acquired in the many facets of independent media production and television, Mark began to create his own films. It was at this time his long time friend, Albert Wiggan, approached him to record ‘Uncle’ Roy Wiggan and the dying art of raft making. Mark saw an opportunity to incorporate the themes of industrial threats to the families way of life and so produced ‘Old Country New Country’ (SBS 2008) with his old mate George Negus who was EP.
Mark has also recently completed the ‘The Serpents Tale’, in a close collaboration with Martuwarra and Noongar Elders.
He also began to collaborate with other film makers both nationally and internationally which resulted in acclaimed and award winning films such as:
1. ‘Undermined’ (Nic Wrathall: Director) which premiered at the Melbourne film festival,
2. ‘How art began’ (Sir Antony Gormley – BBC)
3. ‘Great Nature’ (NHK – Japan)
4. ‘Young, Black and Behind Bars’ (Al Jazeera)
5. ‘Indian Ocean’ With Simon Reeve (BBC)
Mark also worked with Mitch Torres on the acclaimed ‘Kriol Kitchen’ (NITV/SBS 4 series), as well as a series of short films for television and for the indigenous archive. Mark also shot, directed, edited and produced 9 series of a fishing show and 4 seasons of a golf show and these days has inclined towards indigenous content where he has always felt most comfortable.
It has been a slow build for Mark over his near 30 year career. He has collaborated with many of the greats and is proud to call many of them friends.
