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.
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 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]
