Jeremy Torrie

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.

Along with Jim Compton, Gary Farmer, Jerry Giberson, Abraham Tagalik, and others Jeremy was involved in the creation of APTN, and was responsible for headquartering the network in Winnipeg.

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 six 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. Notably, 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 premiered nationally on Hollywood Suite, followed by APTN, and has sold to the US and UK.

Jeremy has finished The Cover Up for TVO, APTN, Knowledge, and Hollywood Suite which reveals how Canada and its churches have worked together to assimilate multiple generations of Indigenous children through the residential school system. The Cover Up also exposes the still-living priests, nuns, and clerics who have yet to face justice.

He’s just delivered Many Wounds, a feature film inspired by the groundbreaking Maori film Once Were Warriors, which he wrote starring Skye Pelletier, Brooklyn Letexier-Hart, Alex Meraz, Kiowa Gordon, and Sera-Lys McArthur. It has won Best Picture at the Hong Kong Northern Lights Film Festival, and won both Best Performance for Sera-Lys as well as Best Director award for Jeremy at the Gimli Intl Film Festival in July.

Jeremy has completed the epic adventure-drama Coppermine from award-winning writer Keith Leckie (Jeremy co-wrote) based on true events in Canada in 1915. The multi-language film is being distributed by Elevation Pictures and Capital Motion Group.

Up next, Jeremy is focused on Ishkodé (Fire, in Ojibwe) to shoot in northern Ontario in 2027 with producers Tanya Brunel and Eve Pomerance about a young Ojibwe woman who seeks revenge against a Catholic priest who abused her in a residential school in the early 70’s in Canada.

Project Hummingbird is an original feature film screenplay and first sci-fi, set in New Mexico in 1966 about a 10 year old Ojibwe boy who is able to turn on and fly a recovered UFO the US military has in its possession.

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. The same can be said for key crew.

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 airborne helicopters. He’s the owner of multiple Digital Cinema packages with a full complement of anamorphic prime lenses, filters, and other camera ‘gak’ including the latest drone technology. Jeremy’s proficient in Avid editing too, having been a Beta tester for over 20 years. As a documentary filmmaker, ensuring authenticity is key while respecting the protocols and cultural practices of any Indigenous nation.

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’s an Associate member of the CSC and their Diversity Committee to provide new opportunities for BIPOC communities in the camera department.

Currently Jeremy is working with Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation where he’s established White Bear Films’ head office. Here, his company is converting Roseau’s vacant hockey arena into a sound-stage with state-of-the-art LED volume Wall Technology running Unreal Engine.

Jeremy lives and works proudly in the Treaty One territory (Winnipeg, Manitoba) with his four children Xavier, Hunter, Semiah, Ruby, and wife Tanya (Metis). When he isn’t writing or directing he’s playing hockey, 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.

You can catch up with him on Instagram, Threads, and at https://whitebearfilms.ca.

Interview recorded on 2026-07-26.