Kieth W. Merrill
Born (1940-05-22) May 22, 1940
Farmington, Utah, U.S.
OccupationFilmmaker
EducationBachelor of Arts
Alma materBrigham Young University
Genres
  • Christianity
  • documentaries
  • fantasy
  • general fiction
  • historical fiction
Years active1973–present
Notable worksThe Great American Cowboy (1973)
The Wild West (1993)
Amazon (1997)
Various films for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Notable awardsAcademy 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).

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.

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]

  • The Great American Cowboy (1973 Documentary Academy Award Winner)[11]
  • A Matter of Winning (1973)
  • Great American Indian (1976)
  • Three Warriors (1977)
  • Take Down (1979)
  • 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)
  • The 12 Dogs of Christmas (2005)
  • The 12 Dogs of Christmas – Great Puppy Rescue (2012)

Bibliography

  • The Evolution of Thomas Hall (May 2011, ISBN 9781606418369, Shadow Mountain)
  • Saga of Kings series
    • The Immortal Crown (May 2016, ISBN 978-1-62972-025-8, Shadow Mountain)

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. 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.
  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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