JEREMY TORRIE | WAABISHKI MAKWA

Born in Treaty 3 territory Jeremy/Waabishki Makwa is an Ojibwe from Wabigoon Lake Indian Reserve #27 near Dryden, Ontario. He is a pipe carrier, traditional drummer, and practitioner of Ojibwe ceremonies. For three decades he has worked to realize his path as the ancestors foretold at his birth -as an aadizookewinini (storyteller) through the mediums of film and television.

Firmly established as a multi-award-winning writer, director, and producer his stylistic vision is complemented by his pursuit of thought-provoking stories of (mostly) a spiritual nature for mainstream audiences. He believes his work in this life is to assist in elevating human consciousness.

Exploring our human condition has taken jeremy around the world including Iraq, Jordan, Greece, Italy, Bosnia, France, Germany, Austria, The UK and Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, Taiwan, Mexico, Chile, South Africa, & virtually every corner of Turtle Island.

Since 2003, when Jeremy co-produced his first film Cowboys & Indians: The Killing of JJ Harper, he has gone on to write, direct, and produce five more films: Mr. Soul, an adaptation of Warren Goulding’s Just Another Indian starring Eric Schweig and Gordon Tootoosis; A Flesh Offering, an inter-provincial co- production with Quebec; Path Of Souls starring Adam Beach, Laura Harris, and Corey Sevier; Juliana & The Medicine Fish, starring Emma Tremblay, Roseanne Supernault and Adam Beach based on the best-selling novel; and the international award-winning The Corruption Of Divine Providence, an original narrative feature written and directed by Jeremy. The film won Best International Feature Film at The Garden State Film Festival, Best Foreign Feature Film at the Bare Bones International Feature Film festival, Best Director at the Esoteric Intl Film Festival, Best Actress for Elyse Levesque at the Julien Dubuque Film Festival, and Best Male Actor Award for David LaHaye’s performance as Louis Seraphin. Divine Providence recently had its national broadcast premiere on Hollywood Suite, followed by APTN, and has sold to the US and UK.

Jeremy is currently in post production on All Pro, a one hour documentary for CBC on the Reaves family, and in production on the feature documentary The Cover Up for TVO, APTN, Knowledge, and Hollywood Suite exploring the priests, nuns, and clerics from residential schools who have yet to face justice.

Jeremy takes particular pride in the relationship he cultivates with actors. Any of them will enthusiastically discuss the collaborative nature of his directing most often described as free, refreshing, and empowering.

On the documentary side Jeremy is no stranger to filming internationally, often taking the camera and shooting himself in whatever situation -including hanging out of airborn helicopters. He’s the owner of multiple Red Digital Cinema 8K packages with a full complement of lenses, filters, and other camera ‘gak’. Jeremy’s proficient in Avid editing too, having been a Beta tester for over 20 years.

Jeremy is a CMPA member on various working committees including the REDIAC, Feature Film and Regulatory, and a member of the Director’s Guild Of Canada. He recently joined the CSC and their Diversity Committee to provide new opportunities for BIPOC communities in the camera department.

Jeremy lives and works proudly in the Treaty One territory (Winnipeg, Manitoba) with his four children Xavier, Hunter, Semiah, Ruby, and wife Tanya. When he isn’t writing or directing he’s coaching hockey or football, and if time permits, a round of golf. His dream is to have a land-based facility for storytellers who can work in a collaborative environment with others of all races, grounded in their spiritualities.