Rob Heydon

Rob Heydon (born August 19, 1970, Toronto) is an award winning Canadian film director who has shot music videos, feature films and documentaries.

Heydon was born in Toronto, Canada. He honed his producing sensibility at the renowned Norman Jewison Canadian Film Centre for Advanced Film Studies working as a PM and producer. Currently, Heydon is producing and directing "Ecstasy", based on the #1 bestselling novel by Irvine Welsh. Recently, he won a Juno Award for Best Music Video for Edwin's Alive, which also won People's Choice Award at Much Music Video Awards.

One of Heydon’s first positions in film was assisting Allen Yamashita in a number of ride-film projects and installations. Yamashita was the producer of Special Effects for Doug Trumbull and Richard Yuricich on "Blade Runner". Heydon has over 20 years proven creative business experience in film as Executive Producer, Producer, Writer, Director, Co-Producer, Editor and Production Manager.

After directing and producing over 100 music videos and commercials, Heydon went on to shoot the new film "Go Further", starring Woody Harrelson (Audience Award runner up prize at Toronto International Film Festival). He went to produce and direct Rippin, a documentary on professional snowboarders which aired on Movie TV and City TV, as well as Pleasure Force on the Toronto dance scene.

Furthermore, he directed the City TV/Space Network television series, Electric Playground. "The Magic", his short film premiered at Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival, Taos, New Mexico and showcased on Head F*!K on Sci-Fi Network in UK, Viva in Germany, MTV, M2, Much Music and VOLT on TVO in Ontario. Recently, was invited to attend the first Producer's Network during the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France.

Ecstasy Film Inc. is in post production on the feature documentary on legendary Producer’s Rep - Jeff “The Dude” Dowd the inspiration for the Coen Brothers’ film "The Big Lebowski" and he has sold and marketed some of the biggest independent films ever, such as "The Blair Witch Project", "Blood Simple", "Gandhi", "The Black Stallion", "Chariots of Fire". He directed "Hairdo", the opening of the television pilot for F/X Vision Productions.He helped to produce "Save My Lost Nigga Soul" which won Best Canadian Short Film at the Toronto International Film Festival. As well he produced, "Stories from the Land of Cain", which won Best Western Canadian Short at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Heydon directed and produced "Men will be Boys", a 20 minute short film that won 2nd Best Comedy Film and Best Film runner up at the Canadian International Film and Video Festival. Finally, Heydon directed and produced "The Silent Pickup Line", a 7 minute short film, Honourable Mention, McGill Film Festival, Montreal and produced "The Domestic Jungle", a 5 minute short film directed by Jamie Wilson.

Heydon attended workshops including: Film Marketing and PR at SXSW, Co-Productions at The Toronto International Film Festival, HOT DOCS, HBO Doc PITCH session at Sundance Film Festival. In 2003, he participated in Strategic Partners at the Atlantic Film Festival and Mannheim Meetings in Mannheim, Germany. In 2004, he participated at Producer’s Network at Cannes Film Festival.

Heydon's work as a director and producer was featured on Ninja Tune Recordings Zen TV, a DVD compilation of music videos. Heydon has also been featured on "Volt" (TV series on TVO) in the episode "Spotlight on Canadian Directors, Movie Television" (TV Series on CityTV and broadcast around the world), The Annual Juno Awards and The Much Music Video Awards.

"Ecstasy" (a collection of three short stories) was published in 1996. The last short story, "The Undefeated", was adapted into the play "Ecstasy" (by Montreal-based Keith Wyatt) that performed to sold-out audiences and critical acclaim across Canada and at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. After seeing the play, Irvine called it the “best adaptation" of his work. In August of 2001 wewho met with Irvine Welsh to discuss optioning the book in order to create the "Ecstasy" screenplay and adapt it into a film.

"Ecstasy" was awarded Script Development Financing for the third draft from The Movie Network’s Harold Greenburg Fund. Also, Heydon attended the first annual Producer’s Network conference at the Cannes Film Festival 2004 in Cannes, France and returned to Cannes in 2005 when he was invited to participate in the L’attelier program for International Co-productions. Also, Heydon spends a great deal of time meeting with producers, distributors and sales agents.

Heydon is also developing a slate of films for international co-productions. MediaWiki:Autosumm-replace

elected filmography

Feature films

*2008 "Ecstasy", Director, Producer, Writer. Based on the #1 Bestselling book by Irvine Welshcite web |title=Scotsman.com News |work=Cast lines up for taste of Ecstasy |url=http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=36&id=1599422006 |accessdate=December 30 |accessyear=2006]
*2006 "Greyfriar's Bobby", Co-producer. based on the children's book

Documentaries

*2003 "Go Further", Director: Ron Mann as Cinematographer
*1997 "Rippin", Director, Producer
*1996 "NYE - Pleasure Force", Director, Producer
*1995 "Jokers High - Pleasure Force", Director, Producer

Video

* 2004 "Ninja Tune Recordings Zen TV"

Music videos

*2000 "Beautiful Strange", Bedrock
*2000 "I Understand", McMaster and James, BMG Records
*2000 "Never Too Late", Damhnait Doyle, EMI
*1999 "Alive", Edwin, Sony Music
*1999 "Skizofrenik", Plastikman, Plus 8 Records / Sony Music Publishing
*1999 "Packard", Plastikman, Plus 8 Records / Sony Music Publishing
*1999 "It's Obvious", DJ Vadim, Ninja Tune Records
*1999 "Road with Many Signs", The Herbaliser with Dream Warriors, Ninja Tune Records
*1998 "Converge", Plastikman, Plus 8 Records / Sony Music Publishing

Awards

*2000 Juno Awards, Canada - Best Music Video, for "Alive" (Edwin)

*2000 MuchMusic Video Awards of 2000, Canada - People's Choice Best Music Video, for "Alive" (Edwin)

*2000 Much Music Video Awards, Best Cinematography, 2000, McMaster and James's "I Understand" music video

*2000 East Coast Music Awards, Nomination for Best Video: "Never Too Late" (Damhnait Doyle)

*1999 Music Video Production Association MVPA Awards, U.S. - Nomination for Best Electronic Video: "Converge" (Plastikman)

*1995 The Canadian International Film and Video Festival., Best Comedy Film and Best Film , "Men will be Boys"

*1993 McGill Film Festival, Montreal, Nominated Best Film, "The Silent Pickup Line"

References

External links

*
* [http://www.spinglobe.com/network/robheydon.shtml Rob Heydon] at the Spinglobe Network
*
* [http://www.Ecstasythefilm.com/ Ecstasy the Film] (2008) Film website
* [http://www.bobbythedog.co.uk/ The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby] (2005) Film website