Gavin Heffernan
Encyclopedia
Gavin Heffernan is a Canadian
independent film
maker, known primarily for his microbudget feature Expiration
, his award-winning experimental films, and most recently, his involvement with the film of The Doors
co-founder Ray Manzarek
's book "The Poet in Exile", a tale of rock legend Jim Morrison
faking his death and returning to the limelight thirty years later. Heffernan is an alumnus of McGill University
and the American Film Institute
. While attending McGill, he wrote, directed, and acted in two feature films,The Steaks (2000) and Expiration
(2004), both filmed primarily in Montreal, Quebec. The unique D.I.Y production of The Steaks was the subject of a section titled "The $800 Movie" in the 2002 edition of the Barnes & Noble Writer's Guide to Hollywood.
His next feature Expiration
received a 78% average ranking on Rotten Tomatoes
and was awarded the Grand Jury Prize in Toronto at the 2004 Canadian Filmmakers' Festival
. Though Budgeted at $10,000, Expiration
benefited from a strong internet presence fueled by acclaim from publications Variety
, Ain't it Cool News
and Film Festival Today. Would later be referred to by The Film Journal as "the first major work of the student digital New Wave." Following the independent success of Expiration
, Heffernan moved to Los Angeles in 2004 to pursue an MFA in Directing at the American Film Institute
.
Heffernan's spiritual 2007 American Film Institute
Thesis Film Santa Croce http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/santa-croce/id269417901 was distributed Worldwide December 2007 through iTunes
and Shorts International. The 35mm film has since been used as a presentational tool in some educational institutions, including the 2008 Duke University
course, The Cult of the Virgin Mary (26S-03). After graduating from AFI in 2007, Heffernan co-founded The Film Summit
http://www.thefilmsummit.com/, an event dedicated to the examination and preservation of film relations between Hollywood and Canada, featuring works from Canadian Film Centre
and the American Film Institute
, presented at the University of Toronto
campus.
Premiering at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival, his unconventional anti-war documentary Grand Wheel (2008) played more than forty domestic festivals leading up to the U.S. Presidential Elections. The film also had a significant international presence, screening in over twenty countries worldwide. Presented with the Silver Bear at the 37th Festival of Nations in Austria, as well as Best Cinematography at the 2008 Canadian Filmmakers' Festival
and Best Experimental Film at the 2009 Oxford Film Festival.
Ventured into the Horror genre through longtime associate Tim Sullivan (director)
and his New Rebellion Entertainment banner in 2010. Served as a Co-Producer and Editor on 2011 Horror Anthology Chillerama, Associate Producer on the psychothriller "Cut/Print" (2011) and Producer on Stephen King
's Salem's Lot sequel "One For the Road", from the author’s iconic Night Shift horror compilation. Also announced to be collaborating with Sullivan (as co-writer and producer) on The Poet In Exile http://www.poetinexile.com/, the upcoming 2012 film about The Doors
legendary frontman Jim Morrison
faking his death and resurfacing thirty years later.
Heffernan's collection of experimental HD Short Films titled Devolution (2010) premiered at the 2010 Florida Film Festival
, with a Los Angeles debut at the 2010 Hollyshorts Film Festival in August, where it won an Audience Choice Award. The Canadian Premiere was held at the 39th Festival du Nouveau Cinéma
in Montreal in October 2010. A Sci-Fi follow-up, Devolution Reckoning (2011), centering upon UFOs attacking Earth, premiered in April 2011 at the 38th Athens International Film and Video Festival (Ohio). It won Bronze at the 23rd Golden Diana Film Festival in Austria. Canadian Premiere held at 40th Festival du Nouveau Cinéma
in October 2011.
Production Company Sunchaser Pictures based in Hollywood, CA and Toronto, ON.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
maker, known primarily for his microbudget feature Expiration
Expiration
Expiration is an independent feature film written, directed and starring Gavin Heffernan. It was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize and Best Film at the Canadian Filmmakers' Festival....
, his award-winning experimental films, and most recently, his involvement with the film of The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
co-founder Ray Manzarek
Ray Manzarek
Raymond Daniel Manzarek, Jr., better known as Ray Manzarek , is an American musician, singer, producer, film director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, Nite City from 1977–1978 and Manzarek-Krieger since 2001.Manzarek is listed #4 on Digital Dreamdoor's "100...
's book "The Poet in Exile", a tale of rock legend Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
faking his death and returning to the limelight thirty years later. Heffernan is an alumnus of McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
and the American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
. While attending McGill, he wrote, directed, and acted in two feature films,The Steaks (2000) and Expiration
Expiration
Expiration is an independent feature film written, directed and starring Gavin Heffernan. It was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize and Best Film at the Canadian Filmmakers' Festival....
(2004), both filmed primarily in Montreal, Quebec. The unique D.I.Y production of The Steaks was the subject of a section titled "The $800 Movie" in the 2002 edition of the Barnes & Noble Writer's Guide to Hollywood.
His next feature Expiration
Expiration
Expiration is an independent feature film written, directed and starring Gavin Heffernan. It was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize and Best Film at the Canadian Filmmakers' Festival....
received a 78% average ranking on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
and was awarded the Grand Jury Prize in Toronto at the 2004 Canadian Filmmakers' Festival
Canadian Filmmakers' Festival
The Canadian Filmmakers Festival is an annual film festival in Toronto, Ontario, showcasing Canadian films since 2004. It is held in March of each year and usually runs for five days....
. Though Budgeted at $10,000, Expiration
Expiration
Expiration is an independent feature film written, directed and starring Gavin Heffernan. It was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize and Best Film at the Canadian Filmmakers' Festival....
benefited from a strong internet presence fueled by acclaim from publications Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, Ain't it Cool News
Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News is a website founded and run by Harry Knowles, dedicated to news, rumors and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films and television projects, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic-book and action genres...
and Film Festival Today. Would later be referred to by The Film Journal as "the first major work of the student digital New Wave." Following the independent success of Expiration
Expiration
Expiration is an independent feature film written, directed and starring Gavin Heffernan. It was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize and Best Film at the Canadian Filmmakers' Festival....
, Heffernan moved to Los Angeles in 2004 to pursue an MFA in Directing at the American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
.
Heffernan's spiritual 2007 American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
Thesis Film Santa Croce http://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/santa-croce/id269417901 was distributed Worldwide December 2007 through iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and Shorts International. The 35mm film has since been used as a presentational tool in some educational institutions, including the 2008 Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
course, The Cult of the Virgin Mary (26S-03). After graduating from AFI in 2007, Heffernan co-founded The Film Summit
The Film Summit
A film industry event staged at the University of Toronto focused on the evolving relationship between Canada and Hollywood.Featuring works from the American Film Institute and The Canadian Film Centre, followed by an interactive panel of Notable Industry Leaders....
http://www.thefilmsummit.com/, an event dedicated to the examination and preservation of film relations between Hollywood and Canada, featuring works from Canadian Film Centre
Canadian Film Centre
The Canadian Film Centre is an advanced training institution for film, television and new media. Based in Toronto, Canada, CFC offers residents education, industry partnerships and production experience...
and the American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
, presented at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
campus.
Premiering at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival, his unconventional anti-war documentary Grand Wheel (2008) played more than forty domestic festivals leading up to the U.S. Presidential Elections. The film also had a significant international presence, screening in over twenty countries worldwide. Presented with the Silver Bear at the 37th Festival of Nations in Austria, as well as Best Cinematography at the 2008 Canadian Filmmakers' Festival
Canadian Filmmakers' Festival
The Canadian Filmmakers Festival is an annual film festival in Toronto, Ontario, showcasing Canadian films since 2004. It is held in March of each year and usually runs for five days....
and Best Experimental Film at the 2009 Oxford Film Festival.
Ventured into the Horror genre through longtime associate Tim Sullivan (director)
Tim Sullivan (director)
Tim Sullivan is an American film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter.-Early career:His interest in film began as a teenager when he landed a job as a production assistant on the 1983 cult horror film Return of the Aliens: The Deadly Spawn...
and his New Rebellion Entertainment banner in 2010. Served as a Co-Producer and Editor on 2011 Horror Anthology Chillerama, Associate Producer on the psychothriller "Cut/Print" (2011) and Producer on Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's Salem's Lot sequel "One For the Road", from the author’s iconic Night Shift horror compilation. Also announced to be collaborating with Sullivan (as co-writer and producer) on The Poet In Exile http://www.poetinexile.com/, the upcoming 2012 film about The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
legendary frontman Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
faking his death and resurfacing thirty years later.
Heffernan's collection of experimental HD Short Films titled Devolution (2010) premiered at the 2010 Florida Film Festival
Florida Film Festival
The Florida Film Festival, produced by Enzian Theater in Maitland, Florida, is an annual international film festival. Showcasing the best American independent and foreign films, the festival has become one of the most respected regional film events in the United States.-Overview:The Festival...
, with a Los Angeles debut at the 2010 Hollyshorts Film Festival in August, where it won an Audience Choice Award. The Canadian Premiere was held at the 39th Festival du Nouveau Cinéma
Festival du Nouveau Cinéma
The Festival du Nouveau Cinéma was known as the Montreal Festival of New Cinema and New Media until 2004. Founded in 1971, by Claude Chamberlan and Dimitri Eipides, it is an annual independent film festival held in Montreal and features independent films from around the world...
in Montreal in October 2010. A Sci-Fi follow-up, Devolution Reckoning (2011), centering upon UFOs attacking Earth, premiered in April 2011 at the 38th Athens International Film and Video Festival (Ohio). It won Bronze at the 23rd Golden Diana Film Festival in Austria. Canadian Premiere held at 40th Festival du Nouveau Cinéma
Festival du Nouveau Cinéma
The Festival du Nouveau Cinéma was known as the Montreal Festival of New Cinema and New Media until 2004. Founded in 1971, by Claude Chamberlan and Dimitri Eipides, it is an annual independent film festival held in Montreal and features independent films from around the world...
in October 2011.
Production Company Sunchaser Pictures based in Hollywood, CA and Toronto, ON.
External links
- Sunchaser Pictures Official Site
- Twitter @GavinHeffernan
- VARIETY "Manzarek sets up Morrison tale"
- Cut/Print Unleashed Fearnet Article.
- Sullivan to Produce Stephen King Project Dread Central Exclusive