Tony Ayres

Early life and education

Tony Ayres was born in Portuguese Macau (now in China) in 1961. In 1964, Ayres' mother married an Australian sailor and migrated her family to Perth, Western Australia.

In 1972, when Ayres was 11 years old, his mother died by suicide. She was a nightclub singer.

Ayres' stepfather died of a heart attack three years after the death of his wife, and two days before he was due to remarry. Ayres and his older sister briefly lived with their stepfather's former fiancée, before being placed in the care of Ayres' history teacher (whom his sister would later end up marrying). Ayres temporarily relocated to Canberra, ACT, to study, before moving back to help care for the teacher and his children. Ayres' 2007 film The Home Song Stories is loosely based on this early period of his life.

Ayres attended Ardross Primary School and Applecross Senior High School, later studying photography and printmaking at the Australian National University in Canberra, before working as an exhibition curator. He later completed postgraduate studies in film and video at the Swinburne Film and Television School (now the University of Melbourne Faculty of VCA and MCM School of Film and Television) in Melbourne, Victoria.

Career

Ayres' first feature film, Walking on Water, won the Teddy Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2002, and won 5 AFI Awardss. His second feature film, The Home Song Stories, also premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, and won 24 Australian and international awards, including 8 AFI Awards.

Ayres was the showrunner and director of the 8-episode miniseries The Slap, which won five AACTA Awards, including Best Miniseries or TV Movie, and was nominated for a BAFTA and International Emmy. His other credits include producing the comedy series Bogan Pride with Rebel Wilson, and directing the 2009 telemovie Saved. Ayres was the showrunner for the ABC3 show Nowhere Boys, as well as executive producer on Old School and Devil's Playground.

On 31 January 2025, it was announced that Netflix series The Survivors had been announced in the 2025 Australian drama slate, and that Ayres would produce and write for the show. Ayres, alongside Matchbox Pictures, was heavily involved with the production when it was first announced in 2023. On 4 July 2025, ABC announced it was in active production with Ayres for a new series called Toxic based on the Erin Patterson "mushroom murders" trial.

Other activities

In 2018, after departing Matchbox Pictures, Ayres created his production company Tony Ayres Productions (TAP).

In 2020 Ayres was appointed as a board member of the South Australian Film Corporation for three years.

Recognition and honours

On 16 May 2023, Ayres was awarded an honorary degree with a Doctor of Arts in film and television from AFTRS.

Personal life

Ayres is openly gay.

Filmography

Film

Television

The numbers in directing and writing credits refer to the number of episodes.

Executive producer-only

Producer-only

Awards

Tony Ayres won the award of Best Dramatic Feature at the 2015 Byron Bay International Film Festival for the film Cut Snake.

References

References

1. [http://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/catalogues/bibliography/135022/author-not-identified-ayres-tony.aspx Tony Ayres] on Prints and Printmaking
2. [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/03/1048962875695.html "Going beyond the pale"]. ''[[The Age]]'', 4 April 2003.
3. [http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/conversations/stories/s2001814.htm?queensland "Writer and director Tony Ayres"]. [[ABC Queensland]], 10 August 2007.
4. (28 July 2007). "Tortured lives". PerthNow.
5. Brzeski, Patrick. (2025-01-30). "Netflix's Tasmanian Crime Series 'The Survivors' Reveals Cast, First Look".
6. Knox, David. (2023-12-19). "The Survivors taps into Tasmania for Netflix {{!}} TV Tonight".
7. Writer, Staff. (2025-07-03). "Tony Ayres Productions, ABC begin development on series inspired by Erin Patterson case".
8. Knox, David. (2018-07-18). "Tony Ayres to set up new production company {{!}} TV Tonight".
9. "Tony Ayres appointed to SAFC Board".
10. Knox, David. (2023-03-04). "Tony Ayres departs SAFC Board {{!}} TV Tonight".
11. "SAFC bids farewell to Board member Tony Ayres".
12. Knox, David. (2023-05-16). "AFTRS bestows honorary degrees {{!}} TV Tonight".
13. Knox, David. (2022-10-13). "ABC ME co-commissions The Spooky Files {{!}} TV Tonight".