Emmy
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...
and
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
winning filmmaker and author. He has worked extensively for National Geographic Television and the Turner Networks as producer, writer and director of documentaries. His narrative film work includes festival winners ''Coyotes'', ''San Juan Story'' and ''Extinction''.
Early career
McCarey was raised in the Hudson River Valley of New York. He graduated from
SUNY Maritime College
State University of New York Maritime College (SUNY Maritime College) is a public maritime college in the Bronx, New York City. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Founded in 1874, the SUNY Maritime College was the fi ...
with a B.S. degree and a merchant marine deck officer's license. From 1967–1970, he sailed on merchant ships as third mate. Most were tramp freighters carrying explosive cargoes bound for
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
. These early adventures at sea are recounted in his memoir ''Oceans Apart: the Wanderings of a Young Mariner''.
In 1970, he took a job as captain of a small research vessel in
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
. There, McCarey became involved in the controversy over the naval bombardment of the island of Culebra. This experience is recounted in his memoir ''Islands Under Fire: The Improbable Quest to Save the Corals of Puerto Rico'', a book described as "rich with humor, misadventure and triumph" in a starred review by ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
''.
In the 1970s, McCarey worked on environmental studies in the
Hudson River
The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...
, and
oceanographic
Oceanography (), also known as oceanology, sea science, ocean science, and marine science, is the scientific study of the ocean, including its physics, chemistry, biology, and geology.
It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of top ...
studies in the North Atlantic and South Pacific.
Career in film
In 1978 he left the sea to pursue a career in film. McCarey graduated from the University of Oregon in 1980 with an M.A. in Film Studies. In 1981, he was hired by
Turner Broadcasting
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. was an American television and media conglomerate founded by Ted Turner in 1965. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner (later WarnerMedia) on October 10, 1996. As of April 2022, all of its ass ...
as a documentary filmmaker. There he worked as writer-director on the
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
winning series Portrait of America. This acclaimed series, hosted by
Hal Holbrook
Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called ''Mark Twain Tonight!'' while studying at Denison University. H ...
, created a portrait of America through its people and its landscape. McCarey's films documented such far-flung locales as American Samoa, Guam and the Marianas Islands—as well as
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
,
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
, Puerto Rico and the
U.S. Virgin Islands
The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and a territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located ...
.
In 1985, he produced and directed ''Trumpet of Conscience''—a visual and musical interpretation of the last Christmas sermon of
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
Called "a rousing special" by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and given four stars by the
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
, the film aired on the Turner Networks every Christmas for twelve years.
In 1995, McCarey was series writer-director for Pirate Tales, a four-hour special blending dramatic reenactments and documentary footage. It was shot on location in the
British Isles
The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...
, the Caribbean, North Africa and aboard period sailing ships.
Roger Daltrey
Sir Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band the Who, known for his powerful voice and charismatic stage presence. His stage persona ear ...
hosted. "Writer-director Kevin McCarey pulls off an intelligent, densely detailed documentary/dramatization ..." wrote ''Variety''.
His narrative work includes San Juan Story (1991), a comedy short he wrote and directed starring
Jacobo Morales
Jacobo Morales (born 12 November 1934) is a Puerto Rican actor, poet, writer, playwright, filmmaker, and author born in Puerto Rico.Rosana DeSoto ("La Bamba"). Premiering at the
Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...
, it won the Cine Golden Eagle and was among the final ten for a Best Live Action Short
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People and fictional and mythical characters
* Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar
* Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
nomination.
McCarey's feature debut as writer-director, Coyotes (1999), stars Leo Gannon ("Prince of Tides") and Kirsten Carmody ("From Earth to Moon"). It's the story of two drifters—a thirteen-year-old girl and her father—and their struggle for survival in the desert of Baja, Mexico. The film premiered in the 1999
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival (sometimes stylized shortly as PSIFF) is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. Originally promoted by Mayor Sonny Bono and then sponsored by Nortel,here for Table of Contents it started in 19 ...
and won the Best Feature Film Award at the Savannah International Film Festival.
His most recent narrative work, ''Extinction'', (2010) is set in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. An African boy whose village is struggling with AIDS befriends paleontologists studying an extinction event. This award-winning short screened in New York's
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...
as part of the NYC Film Festival.
In 1996, McCarey began a long association with
National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
Film and Television. He made films on subjects ranging from
giant squids
The giant squid (''Architeuthis dux'') is a species of deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae. It can grow to a tremendous size, offering an example of abyssal gigantism: recent estimates put the maximum body size at around ...
to the lions of the
Kalahari
The Kalahari Desert is a large semiarid sandy savanna in Southern Africa covering including much of Botswana as well as parts of Namibia and South Africa.
It is not to be confused with the Angolan, Namibian, and South African Namib coastal d ...
. He also wrote the NBC specials Okavango: Africa's Savage Oasis, Tigers of the Snow, Dolphins: the Wild Side and Storm of the Century. In 1999, he was writer and field producer for the two-hour Adventures in Time: the National Geographic Millennium Special which Daily Variety called "a bold, new vision underscoring the wizardry of writer Kevin McCarey."
In 2000, he joined the staff of National Geographic as supervising producer and/or writer of such Emmy-nominated films as Killer Cats of the Kalahari, Deadly Love and Wolf Pack which won the Emmy for Best Documentary Film in 2003.
McCarey's films are driven by his passion for adventure, travel and wildlife. They are notable for their stunning visuals and inspired narration. McCarey currently teaches filmmaking at the
Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France. It was founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the United ...
.
Selected filmography
* ''Extinction'' (2010) narrative short, writer-director
* ''Arctic Tale'' (2007) feature documentary, executive producer
* National Geographic Explorer: ''Roar: One Man's Pride'' (2004) writer-director
* National Geographic Explorer: ''Deadly Love'' (2004) writer, supervising producer
* National Geographic Explorer: ''Wolf Pack'' (2003) supervising producer
* National Geographic Explorer: ''Killer Cats of the Kalahari'' (2003) supervising producer
* ''Frederick Frieseke: Portrait of an American Impressionist'' (2000) writer-director
* ''Adventures in Time: the National Geographic Millennium Special'' (1999) writer-field producer
* ''Coyotes'' (1999), narrative feature, writer-director
* National Geographic Special: ''Dolphins, the Wild Side'' (1999) writer
* ''Gunfighters of the West'', documentary mini-series, TLC (1998) director
* National Geographic Special: ''Sea Monsters'' (1998) writer/co-director
* National Geographic Special: ''Tigers of the Snow'' (1997) writer
* ''Pirate Tales'', documentary miniseries, TBS (1997) writer-director
* ''San Juan Story'', (1991) narrative short, writer-director
* ''Trumpet of Conscience'', special, TBS (1985) producer-director
* ''Portrait of America'', series, TBS (1983–87) writer-director
Books
* ''Islands Under Fire: the Improbable Quest to Save the Corals of Puerto Rico'', Ocean Publishing (2012)
* ''Oceans Apart: the Wanderings of a Young Mariner'', The Glencannon Press (2016)
* ''Moonglow Bay: Stories'' by Kevin McCarey Glendalough Press (2021)
Selected awards
* 2006: Emmy nomination, Best Documentary Writing, Kevin McCarey, ''Deadly Love''
* 2004: Emmy Nomination, Best Documentary, ''Killer Cats of the Kalahari''
* 2003: Emmy Award, Best Natural History Documentary, ''Wolf Pack''
* 1999: Best Feature Film, Savannah Int'l Film Festival, ''Coyotes''
* 1997: Emmy nomination, Best Documentary, ''Tigers of the Snow''
;Regional Emmy awards
* Emmy Award, Best Documentary ''Trumpet of Conscience''
* Emmy Award, Best Director, Kevin McCarey, ''Portrait of America''
;Others
* 1991: CINE Golden Eagle Award, ''San Juan Story''
* 1983: George Foster Peabody Award, ''Portrait of America''
*2017: Lifetime Achievement Award, National Marine Sanctuaries
References
* ''Islands Under Fire''
* ''Extinction''
* ''Coyotes''
* "Adventures in Time"
* ''Tigers of the Snow''
* "Gunfighters of the West"
* "Pirate Tales"
* "Trumpet of Conscience"
*
Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France. It was founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the United ...