Acclaimed Mi’kmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby dies at 46

Mi’kmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby, considered a visionary of modern Indigenous cinema, has died.

Reps for the director say he died after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 46 years old.

Raised on the Listuguj reserve in Quebec, Barnaby has directed numerous short films, including the Jutra Award-nominated film The colony and the Genie nominee File under miscellaneous.

The Montreal-based writer-director won acclaim for his 2013 feature debut Rhymes for young ghouls.

He followed up with the 2019 zombie horror movie quantum of bloodwhich won the Canadian Screen Awards.

Barnaby is survived by his wife, Sarah Del Seronde, and son, Miles.