Erin Morris is the Director, Producer and Editor of West Papua – A Journey to Freedom. The production of this documentary involved travelling to the North Coast of PNG to film in a West Papuan refugee camp near the Indonesian border. Erin is motivated by the potential of documentary film to engage audiences and inspire change through education and awareness. In 2010, Erin achieved a Master of Creative Media in Film and Television production at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
Erin’s strong interest in the Pacific region saw her based in Madang, PNG for ten months as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development (2011 – 2012). Assigned with World Vision Pacific Timor Leste, Erin utilised her skills in Multimedia to produce short films and videos related to youths in the rural regions of the province, and issues affecting their well-being.
Erin continues to work on a range of film and video projects in both Australia and Papua New Guinea. Her short filmCourage came second place in the World Nomad Documentary Competition (2011).
Erin has a background in performance arts – she worked as an actor and singer with the theatre group ‘Kommissar Kabaret’ (2006 – 2010), performed in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (2001), and undertook a short course with NIDA on Acting Techniques (2012).
Mohammed Noray (Noray) is a professional Filmmaker and accomplished Fine Art Photographer who has lived and studied in Africa, India, the Middle East, Canada and Australia. Noray carries a Masters Degree in Creative Media specialising in Film and Television production at RMIT University (2010). His passion for filmmaking and photography began at the Vision School of Arts in Poona, India. In 1991, Noray relocated to Toronto, Canada, where he completed studies in both Fine Art Photography at George Brown College (1994) and Ryerson University Film Studies Program (2000).
Noray’s interest in still photography allowed him to explore the power of manipulating light and shadow for calculated emotional impact. Fuelled by the inspiration of professors such as Raj Seilwal, Nir Bareket, Torben Johnke A.S.C, and Ben Caza, Noray’s desire to create compelling cinematic images drove him to learn the craft from the ground up. He developed the tools and confidence to pursue filmmaking by working part-time as a Director, DP, Editor, Grip, AD, Gaffer and Sound Technician in guerrilla style filmmaking. Noray is a creative and original artist and filmmaker, earning praise from both critics and colleagues alike. In addition to his work in Film, Art-Photography and Video Production, Noray is a talented actor with experience both in screen and stage performance.
Noray’s credits include: WANG, The Pet, Walking Blues, To Kill a Mockingbird, What Does it Take to See? Amadou Diallo, Better than Nintendo, Petrified, Bill Watts, Smooth Criminals of Toronto, Out of the cold, The Spot to be, Critical Mass, Amrot, MeKyas, The Assault, Lost in Melbourne and West Papua – A Journey to Freedom. He has worked as an extra in several feature films and TV series including Knowing, The Pacific and Rush.