Jeff Barnaby, the famous Indigenous film director, passed away after a long health battle. He was just 46. Read on to know how did Jeff Barnaby die, what happened to him, and what was the cause of his sudden death.
Barnaby was best known for his award-winning zombie thriller “Blood Quantum” and his debut feature “Rhymes for Young Ghouls.” Tributes have emerged on social media remembering Jeff Barnaby who had a lot of contributions to the Indigenous cinema industry.
Who was Jeff Barnaby?
Born on August 2, 1976, Jeff Barnaby was a Canadian Mi’kmaq film director, writer, composer, and film editor. He was a member of the Mi’kmaw tribe and was raised on the Listuguj Reserve in Quebec. He became known for bringing Canadian Indigenous lives onto the big screen.
Barnaby got famous early in his filmmaking career with the Jutra Award nominee “The Colony” and the Genie Award nominee “File Under Miscellaneous.” His 2013 debut feature “Rhymes for Young Ghouls” also proved to be highly successful.
It criticized Canada’s residential school system. Barnaby later created the zombie horror film “Blood Quantum” which was released in 2019 and depicted a zombie outbreak on a fictional Mi’kmaq reserve. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019.
Blood Quantum had a huge sweep at the Canadian Screen Awards by winning six out of its ten nominations. It won the maximum number of awards among all the films at the ceremony that year. The movie featured a mostly Indigenous cast.
Jeff Barnaby dead at 46: What was his cause of death?
Jeff Barnaby died on Thursday, October 13, 2022, in Montreal after a yearlong battle with cancer. His representative confirmed the unfortunate news of his death. It’s unknown what sort of cancer Jeff Barnaby was diagnosed with that became the ultimate cause of his death.
Barnaby was just 46 at the time of his sudden and untimely demise. His family, friends, and fans are mourning the tragic loss at this time. We’ll try reaching out to them later to have more details about his death.
How did Jeff Barnaby die?
Jeff Barnaby died of Cancer on Thursday, October 13, 2022, in Montreal. He was diagnosed with the disease last year and was struggling with the treatment. His condition allegedly worsened from last week.
Barnaby was a graduate of both the Dawson College and Concordia University film programs. He revolutionized Canadian indigenous filmmaking by using genre film tropes to discuss themes and issues impacting Canada’s embattled First Nation communities.
He’ll be remembered for intelligently injecting elements of magic realism, body horror, and sci-fi into his Indigenous storylines.
Jeff Barnaby Obituary: Funeral Arrangements and Survivors
The funeral arrangements for Jeff Barnaby are pending at this time. We’ll update this section when details about the visitation, funeral, and burial are revealed by his family. His body will be taken to his native place for the ceremony.
Jeff Barnaby is survived by his wife Sarah Del Seronde and son Miles.
Fans and friends are paying tribute to the revolutionary filmmaker who isn’t in this world anymore.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and people. May God let his soul rest in peace.