Kieth Merrill

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Kieth W. Merrill
Born (1940-05-22) May 22, 1940 (age 85)
Farmington, Utah, U.S.
OccupationFilmmaker
Education Bachelor of Arts
Alma mater Brigham Young University
Genres
  • Christianity
  • documentaries
  • fantasy
  • general fiction
  • historical fiction
Years active1973–present
Notable works The Great American Cowboy (1973)
The Wild West (1993)
Amazon (1997)
Various films for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Notable awards Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film (1973)

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).

Contents

He published a novel, The Evolution of Thomas Hall, through Shadow Mountain in 2011. His first fantasy novel, The Immortal Crown, was published by Shadow Mountain in 2016.

Biography

The son of artist/landscape architect David Merrill and playwright/actress Leola Green Merrill, Kieth Merrill was born and raised in Farmington, Utah, a small, pioneer-founded town 20 miles north of Salt Lake City. [3]

As an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served as a missionary for the church in Denmark for two-and-a-half years. [4] [5]

Merrill graduated in 1967 with a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University (BYU). He is married to Dagny Johnson, and they are the parents of eight children. They reside in Northern California. [3] Merrill was commissioned by the LDS Church's First Presidency 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.[ citation needed ]

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 [6] when he delivered the commencement address to the BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications in 2007. [7]

In 2021, his refusal to watch Never Rarely Sometimes Always for Academy Awards consideration as a voting member garnered some attention. [8]

Filmography

Merrill has done work in various formats, including IMAX and 70mm. He has created feature films, documentaries, television commercials, and miniseries. [9] [10]

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ Middle initial from Condie, Todd R. (Spring 2003). "A Philosophy of Storytelling". BYU Magazine. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Kieth Merrill". allmovie. All Media Guide. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  3. 1 2 "Kieth Merrill profile". Outstanding Alumni Profiles BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications . Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  4. ↑ "8-Day Norway Fjords "Lights of the Fjords" Cruise". Meridian Magazine . September 23, 2004. Archived from the original on February 25, 2006.
  5. ↑ Kelly, Brian. "Kieth Merrill: Great American Filmmaker". New Era : 10. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Kieth Merrill profile" (wiki). College of Fine Arts and Communications History. Brigham Young University . Retrieved June 11, 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ Merrill, Keith (2007). "Telling 'Out Story' to All the World". Meridian Magazine . Archived from the original on February 2, 2010. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Director Eliza Hittman Calls Out Pro-Life Oscar Voter Who Refused to Watch Abortion Drama 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always'". February 27, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Kieth Merrill profile". Archive.is. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. ↑ "Kieth Merrill - Filmmaker". Ldsfilm.com. April 2, 2002. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Session Timeout - Academy Awards® Database". Awardsdatabase.oscars.org. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
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