Kieran Turner, a documentary filmmaker best known for producing and directing 2012’s Jobriath A.D., has died after a battle with cancer. He was 56.
Turner died Dec. 23 in West Hollywood.
Throughout his career, Turner put a spotlight on gay artists who passed before their time. In Jobriath, he focused on the pioneering ‘70s glam-rock musician and first openly gay rock star, who died in 1983 at age 36 of AIDS complications. The film is said to have helped renew interest in Jobriath and inspire the re-release of his catalog. Jobriath A.D. also amassed accolades at festivals including the Dublin Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Out on Film, the Seattle Queer Film Festival and the Florida Film Festival.
Through his shingle, Eight Track Tape Productions, Turner worked in both film and TV. He created, wrote, produced and directed the online television series Wallflowers, which ran for two seasons on the Broadway-based network Stage17 and can now be seen on the streaming channel Dekkoo. The show won awards at several streaming television awards at various competitions.
In addition, Turner was a 2021 CNN Docuseries Fellow. His screenplay Black Dogs made the 2022 Black List and is currently in development with Star Thrower Entertainment.
Turner attended NYU, receiving both bachelor’s and master’s degree in fine arts from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts.
His debut feature film, 24 Nights — which he wrote, produced and directed as his graduate thesis —screened at more than 60 festivals worldwide and won seven audience awards before being picked up for distribution by TLA Releasing.
Turner was at work on his final project, Ghost Lights: Reclaiming Theater in the Age of AIDS, at the time of his death. The feature documentary is said to examine the enduring impact of the AIDS epidemic on the theater industry, featuring more than 150 interviews with trailblazers and current theater stars. Wise Child Studios and producer Christianne Tisdale, in partnership with executive producers Brett Morgan and Jonathan Groff, are working to finish the film in Turner’s honor.
A celebration of life is planned for January. Turner is survived by his East Coast-based cousins and his “close chosen family of friends.”