Gavin Heffernan
Gavin Heffernan (born April 2, 1980) is a Canadian filmmaker/screenwriter/photographer.
Gavin Heffernan | |
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On set at the AFI in Los Angeles (2007) | |
Born | Oakville, Ontario, Canada | April 2, 1980
Nationality | Canadian |
Occupation | filmmaker, photographer, screenwriter |
Website | http://www.sunchaserpictures.com |
He co-wrote the psychological horror feature The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)[1] and Paramount's Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015)[2] with writing partner Adam Robitel. Also known for directing experimental visual works, primarily timelapse,[3] most notably featured in The Rolling Stones' 2015 Zip Code Tour[4] as well as their 2016 Desert Trip shows. Heffernan and frequent photo partner Harun Mehmedinovic also contributed visuals to Pink Floyd's Roger Waters' 2016 concerts and Paul Simon's 2018 Homeward Bound Farewell Tour.
In 2015, Heffernan and Mehmedinovic launched SKYGLOW, a crowdfunded book and Blu Ray project to tackle the rising danger and damage of urban light pollution. The fundraising campaign generated significant publicity and ended on May 9, 2015 as the fourth most successful Kickstarter campaign ever in the Photobooks category. The SKYGLOW book released in April, 2017 at SKYGLOWPROJECT.COM and was created in association with the International Dark Sky Association.
An alumnus of McGill University and the American Film Institute. While attending McGill, Gavin wrote, directed, edited, and acted in two student feature films, The Steaks (2000) and Expiration (2004), both filmed primarily in Montreal, Quebec. Though budgeted at a meagre $10,000, Expiration was awarded the Grand Jury Prize in Toronto at the 2004 Canadian Filmmakers' Festival, got a 76% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes,[5] and received acclaim from publications Variety,[6] Ain't it Cool News [7] and Film Festival Today.
His unconventional anti-war documentary Grand Wheel (2008) premiered at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival and played more than fifty film festivals in twenty countries worldwide. It won Silver Bear at the 37th Festival of Nations in Austria, Best Cinematography at the 2008 Canadian Filmmakers' Festival, and Best Experimental Film at the 2009 Oxford Film Festival.[8] His 2010 collection of experimental shorts about the fall of man titled "Devolution" premiered at the Florida Film Festival and won an Audience Award at the 2010 HollyShorts Film Festival. The sci-fi follow-up "Devolution: Reckoning" premiered at the 2011 Festival du Nouveau Cinema in Montreal.
Heffernan's timelapse art has been featured on Virgin America flights, BBC Earth,[9] Bravo's first scripted show Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, The National Park Service's "100 Years" Centennial Video,[10] and many other press and TV outlets, including The New York Times,[11] CNN,[12] TIME Magazine,[13] National Geographic,[14] CBS News,[15] and WIRED,[16] among others. Borrego Springs, California named the 2014 edition of their annual town festival after Heffernan's "Borrego Stardance" astro timelapse and October 25 was subsequently named "Gavin Heffernan Day" in San Diego County[17] by Senator Joel Anderson.
Notes
- Bryan Singer produces microbudget thriller The Taking of Deborah Logan, deadline.com; accessed April 2, 2015.
- Paramount has released the poster for Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension
- Profile SunchaserPictures.com; accessed April 2, 2015,
- PLSN / The Rolling Stones ZIP CODE tour.
- Expiration / Rotten Tomatoes
- Expiration Variety Review
- Expiration review, aintitcool.com; accessed April 2, 2015.
- IMDB - 2009 Oxford Film Festival Awards
- BBC Earth - Spectactular New Desert Timelapse
- National Parks 100 Years
- New York Times - The Push to Reclaim Starry Skies
- CNN - Chasing 'dark skies' to focus on light pollution
- TIME - Two Filmmakers Set Out to Capture the Last Mesmerizing Dark Skies
- Gorgeous New Dreamlapse From Death Valley’s Racetrack Playa Lakebed
- Timelapse video discussion, cbsnews.com; accessed April 2, 2015.
- WIRED - Time-Lapse Video Shows Spectacular Desert Sky at Night
- NBC San Diego Profile, nbcsandiego.com; accessed April 2, 2015.