Kieth Merrill
Kieth W. Merrill[1] (born May 22, 1940)[2] is an American filmmaker who has worked as a writer, director, and producer in the film industry since 1967. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Directors Guild of America, and received an Academy Award for The Great American Cowboy (1973) and a nomination for Amazon (1997).
He is a founding partner of Odyssey, which pioneered IMAX-format film technology.[3] He is also a founding member of Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios (AAMPS),[4] a production company committed to motion pictures that embrace virtues and values. AAMPS is a growing broad based membership organization giving "card carrying members" the opportunity to weigh-in on scripts and go behind the scenes of AAMPS motion pictures.
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[edit] Biography
Merrill is the son of the Utah artist and landscape architect, David Merrill, and playwright and actress, Leola Green Merrill. He was born and raised in Farmington, Utah, a small, pioneer-founded town 20 minutes north of Salt Lake City.[5] As an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or LDS Church), he made the decision to serve as a missionary for the Church and was called to Denmark[6] where he served for two and a half years.[7]
Merrill graduated with a BA from Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1967. He is married to Dagny Merril, née Johnson. They have eight children and reside in Northern California.[5]
In addition to his mainstream Hollywood projects, Merrill was commissioned by the First Presidency of the LDS Church to produce the films Legacy and The Testaments for the state of the art 70 mm Legacy Theater at Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Merrill has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Southern Virginia University and president of the BYU Alumni Association. He received the Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Award from BYU[8] when he delivered the commencement address to the BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications in 2007.[9]
His first novel, The Evolution of Thomas Hall, waspublished in May, 2011 by Shadow Mountain.
[edit] Filmography
Merrill has done work in various formats including IMAX and 70mm. He has created feature films, documentaries, television commercials, and miniseries.[10][11]
- The Great American Cowboy (1973 Documentary Academy Award Winner)[12]
- A Matter of Winning (1973)
- Great American Indian (1976)
- Three Warriors (1977)
- Take Down (1978)
- Kenny Rogers and the American Cowboy (1979)
- Windwalker (1980)
- Mr. Krueger's Christmas (1980)
- Wheels of Fire (1981)
- Harry's War (1981)
- Rivals (1981)
- The Cherokee Trail (1981)
- Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets (1984) (IMAX)
- Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic (1986) (IMAX)
- Alamo: The Price of Freedom (1988)
- Legacy (1990)
- Polynesian Odyssey (1991) (IMAX)
- On The Way Home (1992)
- The Wild West (1993) (TV miniseries) (Emmy nomination)
- Yellowstone (1994) (IMAX)
- Passion for Life (1995) (IMAX)
- Ozarks: Legacy and Legends (1995) (IMAX)
- San Francisco: The Movie (1995) (IMAX)
- Zion Canyon: Treasure of the Gods (1996) (IMAX)
- Amazon (1997) (IMAX) (Nominated for Academy Award)
- The Witness (1997) (IMAX)
- Olympic Glory (1999) (IMAX)
- The Testaments (2000)
- Secrets of the I-52 (2000)
- The 12 Dogs of Christmas (2005)
[edit] External Links
- Kieth Merrill at the MLCA Database
- Kieth Merrill at the Internet Movie Database
[edit] Notes
- ^ Middle initial from Condie, Todd R. (Spring 2003). "A Philosophy of Storytelling". BYU Magazine. http://magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=1224. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
- ^ "Kieth Merrill". allmovie. All Media Guide. http://www.allmovie.com/artist/kieth-merrill-102594. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
- ^ Kieth Merrill
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b "Keith Merrill". Outstanding Alumni Profiles BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications. http://cfac.byu.edu/index.php?id=1587. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
- ^ "8-Day Norway Fjords “Lights of the Fjords” Cruise". Meridian Magazine. September 23, 2004. http://www.www.meridianmagazine.com/travel/040225norway.html.
- ^ Kelly, Brian (August 1975). "Kieth Merrill: Great American Filmmaker". New Era: 10. http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=024644f8f206c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=79f85930f289b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
- ^ "Kieth Merrill" (wiki). College of Fine Arts and Communications History. Brigham Young University. http://history.cfac.byu.edu/index.php/Kieth_Merrill. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
- ^ Merrill, Keith (2007). "Telling 'Out Story' to All the World". Meridian Magazine. http://www.meridianmagazine.com/arts/070510story.html.
- ^ Kieth Merrill at Hollywood.com
- ^ Kieth Merrill - Filmmaker
- ^ Session Timeout - Academy Awards Database - AMPAS
