Jeff Danna, and his brother Mychael, win the Gemini Award -Best Original Music Score for a Program or Miniseries- for "The Matthew Shepard Story." The telefilm, directed by Roger Spottiswoode ("Tomorrow Never Dies") and starring Stockard Channing, Sam Waterston and Kristen Thomas, recounts the story of the 21-year-old college student lured to a remote field in the Wyoming countryside where he was beaten to death because he was gay. The Danna brothers' evocative and poignant score complements the drama of the tragic story. [The Gemini Award is Canada's equivalent to the U.S. Emmy Awards.]
This summer, Jeff Danna received critical acclaim for the Robert Evans biopic "The Kid Stays in the Picture," released by Focus Features. The composer is currently scoring helmer Spottiswoode's newest feature "The Yeltsin Project." This Showtime film takes a behind-the-scenes look at the orchestration of the Russian President's remarkable 1996 political comeback by a trio of U.S. "spin doctors," and it stars Jeff Goldblum, Anthony LaPaglia and Liev Schreiber.
Last year, Jeff Danna scored the Miramax Othello update "O," as well as received his third consecutive BMI/SOCAN Award for scoring excellence. He teamed up with "O" director Tim Blake Nelson again on the Holocaust drama "The Grey Zone," starring David Arquette, Mira Sorvino and Steve Buscemi.
Besides the "Matthew Shepard Story," the Brothers Jeff and Mychael Danna have collaborated on other scores including this year's "Green Dragon" (Franchise Pictures). The Canadian-born Dannas' collaborative orchestral Celtic albums have enjoyed worldwide success and reached the Top Ten on the Billboard charts. Mychael Danna recently scored Miramax's "Ararat" and Fox Searchlight's "Antwone Fisher," and is set to score the Ang Lee feature "The Hulk" - in theaters next summer.