- John McKay (director)
John McKay is a British
film director andtelevision director . FromScotland ,cite web|url=http://iparenting.com/dad/0802.htm|title=Dad of the Month: John McKay|first=Elisa|last=Ast All|publisher=iParenting.com|date=August 2002|accessdate=2007-01-07] his initial career was as aplaywright ,cite web|url=http://www.filmfreakcentral.net/notes/mckay.htm|title=McKay While the Sun Shines|first=Walter|last=Chaw|publisher=Film Freak Central|date=2002-04-17 |accessdate=2007-01-07] before he began his film career by directing the short films "Doom and Gloom" (1996) and "Wet and Dry" (1997).These short films gained McKay some notable acclaim — "Wet and Dry" was nominated in the "Best Short Fiction" category at the
Molodist International Film Festival inKiev in 1997.cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0563814/awards|title=Awards for John McKay (IV)|publisher=Internet Movie Database |accessdate=2007-01-07] "Doom and Gloom" was also critically recognised, winning a "Special Mention" in the "Youth on Youth Award" category at the 1998Locarno International Film Festival , and the "Best European Short Film" prize at the 1999Brussels International Film Festival .After working on the television series "Psychos" for Kudos and
Channel 4 in 1999, he directed his first full-length feature film, "Crush", starringAndie MacDowell ,Imelda Staunton andAnna Chancellor , for which he also wrote the screenplay. Released in 2001, "Crush" was originally to have been titled "The Sad Fuckers Club",cite news|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,720778,00.html|title=Filming and f***ing|first=John|last=McKay|publisher=The Guardian |date=2002-05-24 |accessdate=2007-01-07] but this was changed after resistance from the producers and distributors and uneasiness on the part of test audiences. "Crush" met with a generally negative critical reaction,cite web|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/Film_Page/0,,540874,00.html|title=Crush|publisher=Guardian Unlimited |accessdate=2007-01-07] and a second feature that McKay had written and was planning to direct at the time, theWorld War II -set "Knickers", never eventually saw production.Following "Crush" McKay returned to television work, in 2003 directing "The Miller's Tale" and "The Sea Captain's Tale" for
BBC One 's updated versions ofChaucer 's "The Canterbury Tales", where the events of the stories were transposed to contemporary settings.cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/08_august/06/canterbury_tales.shtml|title=BBC - Press Office - The Canterbury Tales|publisher=bbc.co.uk |date=2003-08-06 |accessdate=2007-01-07] "The Miller's Tale", which opened the series, proved to be a particular success, with an audience of 7.6 million viewerscite web|url=http://media.guardian.co.uk/overnights/story/0,,1040731,00.html|title=Miller's Tale is a success story for BBC1|first=Claire|last=Cozens|publisher=Guardian Unlimited |format=Requires free registration|date=2003-09-12 |accessdate=2007-01-07] and a mixed but generally favourable critical reaction.cite web|url=http://media.guardian.co.uk/firstnight/story/0,11131,1040677,00.html|title=The Canterbury Tales|publisher=Guardian Unlimited |format=Requires free registration|date=2003-09-12 |accessdate=2007-01-07] In 2004 McKay returned to the cinema with his second full-length feature, directingAcademy Award -winning screenwriterJulian Fellowes 's adaptation ofP. G. Wodehouse 's novel "Piccadilly Jim ".cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371878/|title=Piccadilly Jim (2004)|publisher=Internet Movie Database |accessdate=2007-01-07]McKay then returned once more to television work, and in 2006 directed episodes of two of BBC One's highest-profile new drama series. He helmed the third and fourth instalments of the time travel / police drama series "Life on Mars",cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/12_december/08/mars.shtml|title=BBC - Press Office - Life on Mars press pack|publisher=
bbc.co.uk |date=2005-12-08 |accessdate=2007-01-07] and later in the year directed the opening two episodes of the channel's new "Robin Hood" series.cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0787985/|title=Robin Hood (2006)|publisher=Internet Movie Database|accessdate=2007-01-07] "Life on Mars" gained particular critical and popular acclaim, with reviewerNancy Banks-Smith of "The Guardian " describing McKay's second episode, the series' fourth, as "an inspired take on the usual formula of Gruff Copper of the old school."cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv_and_radio/story/0,,1698510,00.html|title=Last night's TV|first=Nancy|last=Banks-Smith|authorlink=Nancy Banks-Smith|publisher=The Guardian |date=2006-01-31 |accessdate=2007-01-07]His most recent work has been directing "
Reichenbach Falls ", a 75-minute one-off drama fordigital television channelBBC Four , adapted byJames Mavor from a short story byIan Rankin . This was transmitted in March 2007.cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/09_september/06/acid.shtml|title=BBC - Press Office - The Acid Test|publisher=bbc.co.uk |date=2006-09-06 |accessdate=2007-01-07]McKay is married, with children.
References
External links
*imdb name|id=0563814|name=John McKay
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2001/08/22/john_mckay_interview.shtml "Crush"-related interview from 2001] atbbc.co.uk
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