Gillian McKercher is a Canadian film director and producer,Nicholas Sokic
"Playback’s 10 to Watch 2024: Gillian McKercher"
'' Playback'', October 1, 2024. whose debut feature film ''Circle of Steel'' was released in 2018.

Career

McKercher produced and directed ''Circle of Steel'', which is a dark comedy about the safety culture of the oil and gas industry. The film was shot in

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

, Canada, and was one of six productions to receive a government grant. ''Circle of Steel'' premiered at the

Calgary International Film Festival The Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) is a film festival held annually in Calgary, Alberta, in late September and early October. CIFF is the largest international film festival in Alberta and the sixth largest in Canada. In 2020, thei ...

in September 2018. Her second feature film, '' Lucky Star'', premiered as the closing film of the 2024

. It had originally also been announced for the

2024 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival The 2024 edition of the Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival, the 36th edition in the event's history, was held from September 14 to 22, 2024 in Greater Sudbury, Sudbury, Ontario. The first titles in the program were announced on August 1 ...

, but was subsequently withdrawn from that festival by its distributor so that the screening in Calgary, McKercher's hometown, would be the world premiere. A graduate of the Director's Lab at the

Canadian Film Centre The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is a charitable organization founded in 1988 by filmmaker Norman Jewison in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally launched as a film school, today it provides training, development and advancement opportunities for ...

, she was co-founder with Guillaume Carlier and Nicola Waugh of Kino Sum Productions.Eric Volmers
"Calgary-shot oil-and-gas satire, Circle of Steel, now available on demand coast-to-coast"
''

Calgary Herald The ''Calgary Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Publication began in 1883 as ''The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate, and General Advertiser''. It is owned by the Postmedia Network. History ''The C ...

'', October 14, 2020. Her third feature film, ''Scar Tissue'', is in development.

References

Living people Canadian women film directors Year of birth missing (living people) Film directors from Calgary 21st-century Canadian screenwriters Canadian women screenwriters Screenwriters from Alberta Canadian Film Centre alumni Canadian film production company founders Asian-Canadian filmmakers Canadian people of Chinese descent 21st-century Canadian women writers {{Canada-film-director-stub