Jonnie Morris
About
Jonnie Morris is a documentary filmmaker with over 13 years experience directing and editing for leading global broadcasters.
In 2005 she graduated with a bachelor’s degrees in media studies (BA) and Biology (BSc) from Deakin University Melbourne. Since then, she has freelanced internationally for broadcasters such as National Geographic, Arte, PBS, ZDF, ABC Australia, Al Jazeera English, BBC America, and VICE. “Her ongoing passion is to tell stories which blend environmental science and creativity.“
In 2010 Jonnie joined Alexandra Cousteau’s Expedition Blue Planet: North America. A 140-day interactive documentary expedition telling the stories of our water planet.
In 2013 she edited the geo-located documentary series Ringbalin River Stories. Produced by GMB films, this award winning, multi-platform documentary, reinterprets Australia’s greatest river system through the stories of the world’s oldest living Indigenous culture.
In 2014, Jonnie joined forces with producer Kate Pappas to form Jonnie & Kate Films. Her resulting film, Deception By Design aired on ABC in 2015. It reveals the untold story of how artists were recruited by the military to fool the enemy.
She was also invited to present a subsequent paper ‘Mimicking the Masters: A new age for camouflage design’ at an international camouflage conference, co-curated by Ann Elias and Nicholas Tsoutas at Sydney College of the Arts. Published by Sydney University Press, 2015.
More recently, Jonnie has edited several wildlife documentaries for WildBear Entertainment. She was also lead editor for National Geographic’s Drain the Oceans series (Mallinson Sadler Productions).
What is an Alternative Thinker for you?
An Alternative Thinker has a curious mind and lets that sense of wonder guide their process.
What are you bringing forward in your work?
I hope to bring forward more of the intersection between art and science. Often in the documentary industry, we are forced to choose one genre or the other to meet traditional broadcaster demands. As consumption of documentary changes, I hope these rigid ideas of what an audience will watch also changes. I want to break the silos. I aim to take audiences on a journey which invites them to question their connection to the world they inhabit.
Why did you highlight this/these specific project(s) below?
What would you like to see change in the current economy?
Hmmm that’s a tricky one. Economics was never my strongpoint, and money is just our illusion after all. Idealistically I’d like to see a focus on community rather than individual growth. I’d like to see the economy flow in a circle rather than straight lines. I’d also love for us to realise that there is significant economic value in art and the natural world.
Tell us what your vision of the new world – post COVID-19 – is like?
I’d like to see us collaborate more as a community.
What are the questions you have been thinking of for years and never had the time to answer?
Is it possible to develop a less anthropocentric design practice?
Who would you like to collaborate with in terms of brands / institutions / property developers / other Alternative Thinkers?
Oh the pressure! I always love to collaborate with scientists and organisations like CSIRO, but going forward, I would like to work with more artists and story tellers in order to better communicate hard science. I’m open to discover whose creativity could enrich my documentary process. From poets, to storytellers, musicians, animators, illustrators, creative technologists, inventors…etc. I’m open to all alternative thinkers!
Drain the Oceans
Razzle Dazzle: The Hidden Story of Camouflage
Razzle Dazzle: The Hidden Story of Camouflage