About the filmmaker Jeff McKay
I’ve been making films since 1986, working mostly as an editor and director. Much of my early experience came from the National Film Board of Canada. Canada’s once upon a time great filmmaking institution. Between 1985 and 2003 I worked full time though I was contracted as a temporary employee. This was standard procedure by the NFB to keep film workers from receiving Canadian Government employee benefits. During my time at the NFB I made three full length documentaries including the feature length, theatrically released, Genie nominated, Peabody award winning, ‘Fat Chance’ which I directed, edited and co-wrote.
I had the good fortune to work with very talented and experienced filmmakers.
Don Haig and Kent Martin who were my producers in the late 1990’s. They were extremely supportive and encouraging. In Winnipeg I was lucky to be the editor for John Paskievich, a long standing work relationship that has always been fun and interesting.
In making my own films, I’ve embraced stories and subjects that are a celebration in the spirit of life. I’m fascinated with cultural history and its impact on our present day culture.
This is a 14 minute reel of mostly landscape scenic cinematography by filmmaker Jeff McKay.
Locations include: Merrickville, Ontario, Vancouver Island, Central California, the south of Ireland, the south of Germany (Black Forest area), the Boreal Forest in Manitoba Canada and the eastern side of Honshu Japan which includes Tokyo.
“Jeff McKay is one of Canada’s top filmmakers. He is adventurous in his art. All of his films touch a genetic memory in people. In this he is unique.”
Full Length Documentaries
Linda Danchuk, John Walker, Peter & Melanie, Jeff McKay
Graham Ashmore & Saul Henteleff
Some of the films that I have been so fortuitous to realize as full length documentary films include:
FAT CHANCE: 72 min, 16mm, released in 1994.
AND SO TO BED: 52 min, super 16mm, released in 1998. Another NFB produced film. This is a contemplative long play gander at our contemporary relationship with our beds.
My final film produced by the National Film Board, was CRAPSHOOT – The Gamble With Our Wastes, was inspired by my civil Engineer father. It’s an historical ride down the water borne rivers of sewage waste! That’s what I said, SEWAGE! It’s a review of sorts to where this waterborne technology has brought us. We shot on DVCAM. A Sony PD-150. The 52 min film was released in 2003. 14 years later, in 2017, it was the most streamed documentary for the National Film Board of Canada. Considering the high quality and volume of documentaries in the NFB catalogue this top position is quite a notable achievement for my film about sewage. Hey! I’ll take that.
“A waste of taxpayers’ money.”
HAUNTS OF THE BLACK MASSEUR - THE SWIMMER AS HERO 2004, 52 min, shot on DVCAM for Arte France, ZDF Germany and TVOntario. This is an adaptation of Charles Sprawson’s landmark book of the same title. A social/cultural history of swimming ~ yes!
Produced by my own company Edgeland Films. Executive producer is Merit Jensen Carr.
40 Years of One Night Stands – The Story of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet this is a completely unexpected fun film, if I do say so myself, and it’s ballet! Seen through North America’s oldest continuously operating professional ballet company – Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
Linda Troeller & Jeff McKay
It tells the story of the first 40 years of this intrepid dance company that could and did!
It’s 72 min, shot on DVCAM and HD. Produced for BRAVO! TV by Merit Motion Pictures and Raise the Barre Prod. For those who don’t care there is also a 43 minute version.
LINDA TROELLER – Inside The Frame (43 min, shot on DVCAM in 2005 (completed in 2013)) is a no budget portrait of veteran NYC art photographer Linda Troeller. Shot in NYC, Bad Sulza Germany and Arles and rural France. The film features a visit with French photo pioneer, Lucien Clergue, in his iconic Arles photo studio. Lucien was founder of the Arles Photo Festival. Also included is an interview with Nathalie Casabo-Emprin (Galerie NCE Photographie / Paris). Nathalie was a top photo agent for many celebrated photographers of the 1980/90’s, including Ralph Gibson, Lucien Clergue, Arno Minkkinen, Eikoh Hosoe and others.
“A must see film.”
“It brought me to tears.”
MTS-Funded Short Films
These MTS funded films are each under 30 minutes. They are a selection of contemporary and historical films made in and about Winnipeg Canada. These films came to be because of MTS TV who funded these small budget short projects. This came to a quick end once MTS was acquired by BELL who promptly cut the budget for this strand.
The executive producer was Cam Bennett and Greg McLaren and producer Kim Bell.
The films were produced by Jeff McKay’s film company ‘NEW PROJECTS Inc.’ -
They include:
CONTOURS – L.B. Foote & L.L. FitzGerald – Two Visions of Early Winnipeg Where are we? We’re talkin’ Winnipeg in the year 1900. It was Canada’s third largest city at that time and growing fast at a frenetic pace and here were two amazing artists. This is a short portrait of Canada’s Group of Seven painter L.L.FitzGerald and the astoundingly intrepid Winnipeg photographer L.B.Foote. These two iconic artists lived and worked during Winnipeg’s early & CRAZY boom years at the turn of the 20th century. This film was co directed by Laszlo Markovics and Jeff McKay. Jeff McKay did the camera and editing.
RAGS TO RICHLU is the story of Winnipeg’s Shmatta industry. This film was directed by the ever talented Beth Azore and co-produced by Laszlo Markovics and Jeff McKay. Jeff McKay did the camera and editing.
BACKTRACKS – The Story Of Winnipeg’s Streetcars is the entertaining tale of the boom and bust of Winnipeg. The one time biggest city in the Canadian West and the ambitious entrepreneurs that brought electric streetcars to the middle of nowhere’s-ville. This film was directed by Jeff McKay and Beth Azore. Jeff McKay did camera and editing.
YOU DIG, ICE and GARBAGE are two short 5 minute films by Jeff McKay, produced as a series of shorts for MTS TV. ‘Ice’ looks at …, well ice! Winnipeg ice more specifically and ‘Garbage’, takes a short look at the goings on at Winnipeg’s Brady landfill. The largest single landfill in Western Canada. Jeff McKay did the direction camera writing and editing.
WEST CENTRAL – A View From Here is a 37 minute portrait of one of Canada’s poorest neighbourhoods, Winnipeg’s ‘West Central’. West Central has been the landing ground for generations of newcomers to Winnipeg. The area is often a victim of misleading sensationalized media reports leading to a city wide misunderstanding of its residents and businesses alike. This film is directed by Dodie Graham McKay and Jeff McKay. Jeff McKay did the camera and editing.
WINNIPAGANS is the story of Winnipeg’s Pagan community and some of the figures in its past and present. This film is directed by Dodie Graham McKay. Jeff McKay camera and Brad Caslor editing.
COOKING THE REVOLUTION is a portrait of Harry Paine. Co-founder of the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the West End Cultural Centre and he is a true man of the people… and Harry loves to cook!, as he brings brings people together. This film is directed by Dodie Graham McKay. Jeff McKay shot camera and Brad Caslor did the editing.
BEV PIKE – A GIFT OF SENSES is a 25 minute portrait of painter BEV PIKE.
This film was made by Jeff McKay; Direction, all Camerawork, Picture/Sound Edit – FABULOUS Music by Cesar Requena. Howard Rissen; Final Sound Edit & Sound Mix, Jack Lauder; Final Picture Mastering. This is a favorite film of Jeff McKay.
“The film is amazing. I cannot recall another documentary that presents an artist and their work so well. I CANNOT think of anything that tops this.”
Call of the Forest – The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees
AND THEN THERE WAS ‘CALL OF THE FOREST’! A WHOLE OTHER BALL OF WAX.
CALL OF THE FOREST – The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees is a feature length documentary about the importance of native mixed specie forest systems. The film features Diana Beresford-Kroeger noted biochemist, botanist and author. Camera direction and editing by Jeff McKay. Diana Beresford-Kroeger and Jeff McKay co wrote the film. Jeff is also the co-producer of this film with Merit Jensen Carr. The film is co produced by Edgeland Films and Merit Motion Pictures –
Merit Jensen – Carr is the Executive Producer.
AGAIN - FABULOUS Music by Cesar Requena. Music Producer Jorge Requena. Recorded beautifully by Dino D’Ottavio. Additional Music by Harold Budd. Additional piano piece by my son Leo McKay.
Howard Rissen; Final Sound Edit & Sound Mix, Jack Lauder & Andrew Shire; Final Picture Mastering.
Produced by: TREESPEAK FILMS Inc. – Winnipeg Manitoba Canada.
“Call Of The Forest is a film of rare significance. It draws the viewer into the green world that sustains life on this planet at a crucial ecological point and is an introduction to the work of Diana Beresford-Kroeger, one of the least known but most important people on the planet.”