The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) has welcomed filmmaker and writer Tracey Rigney as its second artist-in-residence.
A Wotjobaluk and Ngarrindjeri woman, Rigney began her career as a playwright in the early 2000s with works such as Belonging and How Blak R U?, before eventually transitioning to film and TV.
Her credits include writing and directing shorts Man Real and Endangered, contributing a segment to the feature anthology We Are Still Here, directing Steven Oliver’s web series A Chance Affair, and writing for TV series The Warriors.
She also collaborated with Desiree Cross and Koorie students from Dimboola Primary School on 2015 short film Teacher’s Pet, winner of the Flickerfest’s FlickerUp Best Primary School Production Award for 2016, and completed an industry placement with the assistant directing department on Thor: Ragnarok.
Rigney, who formed her own company Pink Lake Creative in 2022, follows in the footsteps of inaugural AFTRS artist-in-residence Lynette Wallworth.
She said she was looking forward to connecting with the AFTRS community to “share, listen and learn” more about how she could be of service to the institution, while at the same time exploring opportunities to collaborate.
“As part of my AFTRS residency I’m aiming to further explore my mother’s language, Wergaia, through a range of creative practices including sound composition and sound design, which I love in film,” she said.
“I’m excited about how this experience with AFTRS might help shape my future dreaming with this project.”
Rigney’s residency will take place in her community, on Country, and, according to AFTRS, will “focus on process rather than outcome, informed by an ecosystem of creative practise and learning that acknowledges that First Nations knowledge systems are dynamic, living and in constant renewal”.
“We are delighted to welcome Tracey Rigney to AFTRS as our new artist-in-residence,” CEO Nell Greenwood said.
“This program creates unique spaces for innovation and experimentation within our screen industries, which are so important for us, as we consider who we are, the stories we tell, and how we work together to tell them. I can’t wait to see how this residency unfolds.”