Gavin Heffernan

2025-09-28T19:17:03Z

2605:8D80:5400:8B6C:5A4D:9A96:2F44:59CA: Added Early life and career sections.

{{Short description|Canadian filmmaker and screenwriter}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Gavin Heffernan at Grand Canyon (2014).jpg
| caption = Heffernan at [[Grand Canyon National Park]] in April 2014
| birth_place = [[Oakville, Ontario]], [[Canada]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|04|02}}
| occupation = Filmmaker, photographer, producer
| years_active = 1999–present
| website = {{URL|https://www.gavinbheffernan.com/}}
}}

'''Gavin Heffernan''' (born April 2, 1980) is a Canadian filmmaker, photographer, and producer. He co-wrote the psychological horror film ''[[The Taking of Deborah Logan]]'' (2014) <ref> [https://www.thewrap.com/the-taking-of-deborah-logan-is-a-netflix-horror-gem-7-more-awesome-picks-for-halloween-weekend/ The Taking of Deborah Logan' Is a Netflix Horror Gem] </ref> and ''[[Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension]]'' (2015)<ref>[http://brokehorrorfan.com/post/126444232903/paramount-has-released-the-poster-for-paranormal Paramount has released the poster for Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension]</ref> with writing partner [[Adam Robitel]]. Also known for directing experimental visual works, primarily timelapse,<ref>[http://www.sunchaserpictures.com/#!trailers/c1747 Profile] SunchaserPictures.com; accessed April 2, 2015,</ref> featured in [[the Rolling Stones]]' 2015 [[Zip Code Tour]]<ref>[http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/41-production-profile/16952-the-rolling-stones-zip-code-tour.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150810004331/http://www.plsn.com/current-issue/41-production-profile/16952-the-rolling-stones-zip-code-tour.html |date=August 10, 2015 }} PLSN - The Rolling Stones ZIP CODE tour.</ref> as well as their 2016 [[Desert Trip]] shows. Heffernan also contributed visuals to [[Pink Floyd]]'s [[Roger Waters]]' 2016 concerts, [[Paul Simon]]'s 2018 Homeward Bound Farewell Tour, and [[John Mayer]]'s 2022 Sob Rock tour.

==Early life==
Gavin Heffernan was born on April 2, 1980, in Oakville, Ontario.
He is an alumnus of [[McGill University]] and the [[American Film Institute]]. While attending McGill, Gavin wrote, directed, and starred in the feature film ''[[Expiration (film)|Expiration]]'' (2003). Though budgeted at a meagre $10,000, the film was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 [[Canadian Filmmakers' Festival]], received a 76% critic score on [[Rotten Tomatoes]],<ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/expiration/] Expiration / Rotten Tomatoes</ref> and acclaim from publications ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'',<ref>[https://variety.com/2004/film/reviews/expiration-1200534825/] Expiration Variety Review</ref> and ''[[Ain't it Cool News]]''.<ref>[https://www.aintitcool.com/node/16123 ''Expiration'' review], aintitcool.com; accessed April 2, 2015.</ref>

==Career==
His unconventional anti-war documentary ''Grand Wheel'' (2008) premiered at [[SXSW]] and played more than fifty film festivals in twenty countries. His 2010 collection of experimental shorts about the fall of man titled "Devolution" premiered at the [[Florida Film Festival]] and won an Audience Award at the 2010 [[HollyShorts Film Festival]]. The sci-fi follow-up "Devolution: Reckoning" premiered at the 2011 [[Festival du Nouveau Cinema]] in Montreal. In October 2011, Heffernan was attached to co-write the screen adaptation of [[Ray Manzarek]]'s ''The Poet in Exile'', a novel exploring the notion that [[Jim Morrison]] of [[the Doors]] staged his death in 1971.<ref>[https://variety.com/2011/film/news/manzarek-sets-up-morrison-tale-1118044166/] ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' - Manzarek sets up Morrison tale</ref>

Heffernan's timelapse art has been featured in [[Leonardo DiCaprio]]'s ''[[Ice on Fire (documentary)|Ice on Fire]]'' global warming doc for [[HBO]], [[Virgin America]] flights, [[BBC Earth]],<ref>[http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141021-spectacular-new-desert-time-lapse "Spectacular New Desert Timelapse"]. BBC Earth.</ref> [[Bravo (U.S. TV network)|Bravo]]'s first scripted show ''[[Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce]]'', and many other press and TV outlets including ''[[The New York Times]]'',<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/20/us/california-today-the-push-to-reclaim-starry-skies.html/ "The Push to Reclaim Starry Skies"]. ''The New York Times''.</ref> [[CNN]],<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/travel/article/timelapse-photographers-light-pollution-trnd/index.html/ "Chasing 'dark skies' to focus on light pollution"]. CNN.</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'',<ref>[https://time.com/3818802/timelapse-sky-night-video/ "Two Filmmakers Set Out to Capture the Last Mesmerizing Dark Skies"]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''.</ref> ''[[National Geographic]]'',<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150518084259/http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/04/29/gorgeous-new-dreamlapse-from-death-valleys-racetrack-playa/ "Gorgeous New Dreamlapse From Death Valley's Racetrack Playa Lakebed"]. ''[[National Geographic]]''. </ref> [[CBS News]],<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/two-stunning-and-trippy-time-lapse-videos-worth-watching "Timelapse video discussion"], CBS News; accessed April 2, 2015.</ref> and ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]''.<ref>[https://www.wired.com/2013/04/desert-skyskape/ "Time-Lapse Video Shows Spectacular Desert Sky at Night"]. ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]''.</ref> [[Borrego Springs, California]], named their 2014 town festival after Heffernan's "Borrego Stardance" astro timelapse and October 25 was subsequently named "Gavin Heffernan Day" in [[San Diego County]]<ref>[http://www.nbcsandiego.com/blogs/worth-the-trip/Desert-Magic-Borrego-Stardance-278561411.html "NBC San Diego Profile"], nbcsandiego.com; accessed April 2, 2015.</ref> by Senator [[Joel Anderson]].

[[File:SKYGLOW event at The Annenberg Photo Space in Los Angeles.jpg|thumb|SKYGLOW event at the Annenberg Photo Space in Los Angeles]]
In 2015, Heffernan and [[Harun Mehmedinovic]] co-founded [[SKYGLOW]], a crowdfunded book and Blu Ray project to tackle the rising danger and damage of urban [[light pollution]]. The fundraising campaign generated significant publicity and ended on May 9, 2015, as the fourth most successful Kickstarter campaign ever in the Photobooks category. The [[SKYGLOW]] book released in April 2017 at SKYGLOWPROJECT.COM and was created in association with the [[International Dark Sky Association]].

In July 2021, Heffernan and Robitel had partnered with [[Darren Aronofsky]] on a thriller series for [[Netflix]] titled ''The Craving''.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2021/06/adam-robitel-gavin-heffernan-thriller-series-netflix-darren-aronofsky-protozoa-pictures-1234784231/] Deadline - Adam Robitel & Gavin Heffernan Set Up Thriller Series At Netflix With Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures.</ref> In July 2019, the duo had teamed up with [[Sam Raimi]] on an "Untitled Supernatural Thriller"<ref>[https://deadline.com/2019/07/escape-room-director-adam-robitel-sets-up-untitled-supernatural-thriller-at-sony-1202657110/] Deadline - ‘Escape Room' Director Sets Up Untitled Supernatural Thriller At Sony.</ref> for [[Sony Pictures]].

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|id=1134130|name=Gavin Heffernan}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heffernan, Gavin}}
[[Category:1980 births]]
[[Category:Film directors from Ontario]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Film festival founders]]
[[Category:People from Oakville, Ontario]]
[[Category:AFI Conservatory alumni]]
[[Category:McGill University alumni]]

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Gavin Heffernan