Kieth W. Merrill (born May 22, 1940) 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 The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...

and the

Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film director, film and television director, television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Dire ...

, and received an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for '' The Great American Cowboy'' (1973) and a nomination for ''

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

'' (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 Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...

. As an active member of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

, he served as a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

for the church in Denmark for two-and-a-half years. Merrill graduated in 1967 with a bachelor's degree from

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...

(BYU). He is married to Dagny Johnson, and they are the parents of eight children. They reside in Northern California. Merrill was commissioned by the LDS Church's First Presidency to produce the films ''

Legacy In law, a legacy is something held and transferred to someone as their inheritance, as by will and testament. Personal effects, family property, marriage property or collective property gained by will of real property. Legacy or legacies may refer ...

'' 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 Southern Virginia University (SVU) is a private liberal arts college in Buena Vista, Virginia. The college, though not officially affiliated with a particular faith, embraces the values of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Ch ...

and president of the BYU Alumni Association. He received the Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Award from BYU when he delivered the commencement address to the

BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications The BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications (CFAC) is one of nine colleges at Brigham Young University, a private university operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and located in Provo, Utah. Founded in 1925, the colle ...

in 2007. In 2021, his refusal to watch '' Never Rarely Sometimes Always'' for Academy Awards consideration as a voting member garnered some attention.

Filmography

Merrill has done work in various formats, including

IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating. Graeme ...

and 70mm. He has created feature films, documentaries, television commercials, and miniseries. *'' The Great American Cowboy'' (1973 Documentary Academy Award Winner) *''A Matter of Winning'' (1973) *''Great American Indian'' (1976) *''

Three Warriors ''Three Warriors'' is a 1977 American drama film directed by Kieth Merrill, written by Sy Gomberg, and starring Charles White-Eagle, McKee Redwing, Lois Red Elk, Randy Quaid, Christopher Lloyd and Trey Wilson. It premiered at the Chicago Internat ...

'' (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) *''

'' (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) *''

'' (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, , Shadow Mountain) *''Saga of Kings'' series **''The Immortal Crown'' (May 2016, , Shadow Mountain)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Merrill, Kieth 1940 births 20th-century Mormon missionaries American film producers American documentary filmmakers Latter Day Saints from California American Mormon missionaries in Denmark Brigham Young University alumni Living people People from Farmington, Utah Directors of Best Documentary Feature Academy Award winners Latter Day Saints from Utah Film directors from Utah American male novelists