FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Gomeroi

Malinda is a proud Gomeroi woman and Co-Founder of Blackfisch. As a writer, director and producer and creative director, Malinda has over 84 hours of international broadcast TV under her belt and has worked across the globe, namely throughout the USA, all of APAC and Europe.

Malinda was the first employed female director to direct an all-female film crew. From those early beginnings she has written hundreds of scripts and directed both short and long-form projects for TV, film, corporate content and advertising.

In 2022 she added to her already impressive international awards list six more intentional awards from the prestigious New York award shows. She won these for her work for Tourism Australia. Malinda has near 60,000 academic mentions to her name for her work.

Her work for international brands, writing and creating content and TV commercials, tourism commissions in 8 different countries, her long-form films broadcast across the globe and her cinema release films are testament to her passion for the craft.
Malinda is a member of the Australian Directors Guild and the Australian Writers Guild; she is an A-grade Journalist and a Published Author.

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR

With his decades-long experience at the top of his field as a global advertising/marketing executive and creative director, Jeremy is an award-winning creative and has won a long list of awards including Cannes Lions, Andys, Mobius, Clios, Clio Health, Globals, RX awards and others. Jeremy hired, mentored, directed and led the creative leaders of the network powerhouses of McCann Worldgroup, building the reputations of multi award- winning consumer agencies and creating McCann Health as the most awarded Healthcare network in the world. His long advertising journey with McCann has been a full life experience in countries, cultures, business and categories, its experiences fed by two successful career challenges, Consumer and Healthcare. Jeremy joined Blackfisch in 2020, inspired and excited by what he sees as a very unique and special group of people who offer up so much more than a standard production company or creative agency. Jeremy’s goal is to add value to Blackfisch content in a more commercial sense, and to that end has created Message Sticks, the Indigenous talent pool

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Executive Producer, Anna Fawcett, has created some of the most memorable and awarded television advertising campaigns. Anna has produced projects for Nike, Lays, ANZ, Chrysler, Telstra, Visa and Qantas amongst hundreds of projects in Australia and internationally. She has also worked with great talent including Michael Jordan, Michael J. Fox, Richard Gere, Dustin Hoffman, John McEnroe and many more. Anna is recognised as one of the industry’s most prolific and successful producers, having won most major awards both in Australia and internationally. In 2006, she expanded her repertoire by producing the feature film, “Restraint”, directed by David Denneen. She continues to drive Blackfisch towards the future with fresh directing talent, groundbreaking commercials and branded content.

CULTURAL CUSTODIAN & ELDER
Kamilaroi

Aunty Paula Duncan is a proud Kamilaroi Elder from Moree, New South Wales, where she was born and raised. A pillar of her community, Aunty Paula has dedicated her life to preserving and sharing Aboriginal culture, serving as the head of the Moree Aboriginal Elders Group and a respected leader in the region. She also represents the interests of her mob to local council and government organisations, ensuring their voices are heard and respected. Known for her artistic talents, Aunty Paula has a passion for creating beautiful paintings and intricate clay pieces that reflect her rich cultural heritage. Her artwork is deeply inspired by her connection to Country and her love for storytelling through traditional and contemporary mediums. A devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Aunty Paula’s commitment to her community extends to her voluntary work at Moree East Public School, where she supports children through cultural education and training. She was instrumental in significantly increasing the attendance of Aboriginal children at the school, creating a nurturing environment where they feel valued and connected to their culture. Through her leadership, creativity, and unwavering dedication, Aunty Paula Duncan continues to inspire and uplift her community, fostering a legacy of cultural pride and unity for current and future generations.

ELDER/CULTURAL CUSTODIAN
Dunghutti & Jerrinjha

Aunty Margret is recognised as a Tourism Champion by Tourism Australia, Destination NSW, Indigenous Business Council, and endorsed by Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) Supply Nation, Indigenous Business Chamber of Commerce, and the former Governor of NSW, Her Excellency Professor The Honorable Dame Marie Bashir. In addition to translating her cultural knowledge into school curriculums with the AECG, Margret spent 6 years teaching Aboriginal Culture at the Sydney College of Advanced Education on Sydney’s University Campus. In 1993, Aunty Margret began her Cultural Tourism Business, Dreamtime Southern X. Aunty Margret’s life mission is to build a legacy for all children to see and inherit an Australian landscape as rich in the Dreamtime as it has always been and will always be.

ELDER/CULTURAL CUSTODIAN
Yuin

Uncle Noel is a qualified teacher, educator, mentor, horticulturist, chef and historian. Alongside his wife, he has been teaching, delivering programs to and working with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adults and children for over 35 years. He founded an Enrichment Program to nurture Aboriginal people still finding their way home and those who have been denied their traditional history and values. He is able to adapt his teaching methods, content and context to suit the needs of the participants, supported by his own resource materials and traditional Aboriginal artefacts. Uncle Noel’s knowledge and skills are taken from real life experiences. Having been brought up with both Western and Aboriginal Cultures, he contributes unparalleled insight into the differences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal history, lifestyle and society.

CREATIVE PRODUCER
Gomeroi

Annabell Rutter-Peters is a proud Gamilaraay woman. Annabell started at Blackfisch during her last semester of University at UNSW, where she is considered an Aboriginal student leader. Annabell only attended one school, Kambala School for Girls in Rose Bay where she excelled at sport and academics, winning 2 distinguished prizes at the end of year 12.

Annabell is an elite sportsperson and plays touch football for the Eastern Suburbs Roosters. She was also picked for the Indigenous All-Stars national team. Annabell’s passion for creativity is in her blood as she is the daughter of Writer/Director Malinda Rutter.

She is proud and passionate about working on projects with purpose, particularly those intertwined with outcomes for her mob.

CREATIVE PRODUCER

Kathryn has a diverse background in the arts and entertainment industry. She graduated from The University of Sydney with a BA where she triple majored in Film, English, and Performance and holds a Diploma of Film and Television.

Kat has worked for a number of arts and entertainment institutions including Australian Performing Arts Grammar School, JYL Gallery, and Song Zu and her writing has been published in The Sydney Morning Herald and Stage Whispers among other publications. Kat has worked on independent short films as a screenwriter, script supervisor and production assistant.

As part of the Blackfisch team, she has co-written an episode of an original series and has acted as production lead for clients including Infrastructure NSW, the City of Sydney and the Department of Workplace Relations among others.

Kat is passionate about the film industry and highly motivated to meet any challenge.

CREATIVE PRODUCER

Riona has studied and worked in the film industry for over 6 years, focusing predominantly on producing and production design. She graduated from the University of Technology, Sydney with a double BA in Communications, majoring in Media Arts and Production, and International Studies, majoring in Spanish Language and Culture. Riona was fortunate enough to live in Granada, Spain for a year where she studied
the History of Latin American Film and obtained a C1 level in the Spanish language. She has focussed her time outside of university on freelancing in the art department working with such companies as Storymill Productions, WAS Films, DNSW and, most recently Faxmachine Films. Some of her work was featured in Sydney Film Festival 2022.

Riona has a diverse set of skills and a passion for films and documentaries centred around social equity.

JUNIOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Dharug & Wiradjuri

Luke Agius is an emerging director and writer of Dharug and Wiradjuri descent. Having started making his own short films at just twelve years old, Luke has progressed steadily in his career to work with big-name clients such as Meta, Google, ABC and ING.

Throughout his career, Luke has worked on several feature films, short films, music videos, TVCs and corporate films, and two feature films.

Describing himself as a determined and motivated storyteller and artist, Luke has the ambition to make strides in the film industry and has no interest in slowing down. He also is a musician, and radio host and loves a good podcast.

JOURNALIST, FILMMAKER & SENIOR CREATIVE
Gomeroi

Ray Martin began his career in journalism at the ABC. After a decade as their North American Correspondent he joined the Nine Network as one of the three original 60 Minutes reporters. He went on to host The Midday Show, A Current Affair, Sunday and a wide range of network specials, including coverage of Federal and State elections.

Martin was awarded an Order of Australia for his journalism and his lifetime work in Aboriginal reconciliation, an Honorary Doctorate from Sydney University, along with an unmatched five Gold Logies.

Since leaving Channel 9, he has done a number of television documentaries for the SBS and Prime networks, as well as writing three best-selling books, including a collection of his photographs over half a century.

SENIOR PRODUCER & WRITER

Max Uechtritz has been an award winning foreign correspondent, program-maker and international executive for over 36 yeras. He has the unique distinction in Australian media

of heading the largest news operations in public broadcasting and commercial television, as well as a major online portal. He managed one of the world’s largest suites of documentary and current affairs programmes while at the global network Al Jazeera English (AJE). He has been a digital-first mover, managed strategic transformations and launched his own company Kundu Productions.

Before founding this documentary company, Max’s career included a five year tenure at Seven as News and Current Affairs Executive, Editor-In-Chief at Ninemsn, Network Director of News (Nine) and a four-year tenure at the ABC as Executive Director of News and Current Affairs. Throughout his career, Max has overseen coverage of many of the most significant historical events in recent history including the 9/11 attacks, the Iraq war and the 2004 Asia tsunami. He reported first hand on Tiananmen Square, the Gulf War, the Soviet Coup and dissolution, all 1990s Balkans wars, Thatcher’s demise, the Mandela and Clinton elections and geopolitical milestones in numerous countries, as well as the Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics.

HEAD OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Jodie is a PCVE strategic communication and behaviour change specialist. She is known globally, having worked with governments, NGOs and media in Australia, South East Asia, Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean.

She is also a senior strategic communication consultant with the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism.

Her work has included areas such as PCVE capacity-building, crisis and emergency communication, social cohesion and community resilience, and communication to support citizens returning from conflict zones. She brings together the latest theory, evidence and best practice to help pursue and achieve positive change.

Jodie has been a presenter for European Strategic Communications Network (ESCN) and the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) Policy Support Group and was recently awarded a Visiting Fellowship with the International Counter Terrorism Centre (ICCT) in The Hague.

Jodie is also a postgraduate lecturer at the University of Sydney in Crisis Communication and Behaviour Change.

MANAGING PARTNER

Darren’s experience extends across a broad range of areas including communication, stakeholder engagement, advocacy and media relations, reputation management, change, marketing and brand.

Darren has worked on a range of behaviour change and public health campaigns, programs and strategies. This includes across obe- sity, countering violent extremism and family violence.

Darren is a strategic communication adviser to the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism.

PUBLIC OFFICER
Kamilaroi

After attending NIDA, Adam’s first acting role was with the Sydney Theatre Company. He has since performed in, written and directed a number of regional productions. As well as holding a number of curatorial and administrative roles for various community arts and cultural productions (including curating the first NAIDOC assembly performance for Armidale Schools), Adam also worked with NSW Fair Trading as a negotiator and licencing officer. His respect for the arts and indigenous culture, from the artistic to the administrative, brings unique insight to Adam’s position of Public Officer –  supporting the Directors in the operation, fundraising and development work in community for Blackfisch – a registered indigenous entity and arts and cultural development organisation.

SENIOR CREATIVE

Paris is passionate about big ideas and the fine details of craft, with over 30 years in the industry working across a broad range of client sectors: Automotive, Financial, Government, Education, FMCG, Telco, Insurance, Technology, Alcohol, Fashion and more.

A highly versatile and collaborative creative, known for both award winning campaigns and practical approach to problem-solving. Whether the brief calls for an integrated solution, a traditional ad campaign, greater digital engagement, or a PR-worthy ‘big idea’, always happy to step up to the bar – aiming to deliver a great result for the client.

HEAD OF POST-PRODUCTION

Alan has 30 years working in both Technical and Marketing areas. As well as working across Channel 7, Channel 9 and Channel 10 during his career, he’s owned several post-produciton companiees including; Independent Post Productions, Television Makers and REM Films. He has hundred of movie trailers and TVCs.

Alan has won numerous awards working on high-end productions for some of the world’s biggest companies such as Toyota, Paramount Pictures and Allianz.

Alan has a solid background in all aspects of post-production.