Eugene Boyko
Encyclopedia
Eugene Boyko known to many as "Jeep", he was a Canadian filmmaker who worked with the National Film Board of Canada. Born in Saskatoon in 1923. An early film of his, Helicopter Canada
was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
He started with the NFB in the early 50's while it was still based in Ottawa. He moved with his wife Delia to Montreal when the head office was transferred. He has a daughter Debbie (DB)Boyko and son Lee Boyko, both of whom work in the cultural sector.
In 1986, he was diagnosed with Haemochromatosis
after reading a magazine article about the work of Marie Warder
, founder of the Canadian Haemochromatosis Societyhttp://www.toomuchiron.ca.
His cinematography
credits include serving as director of photography of Donald Brittain's 1964 film Fields of Sacrifice
.
Fields was one of the films he was most proud of as it provided a sense of dignity of the fallen, without glorify war. During the early 70's he worked with a number of aboriginal film makers as part of the NFB efforts to help people tell their own stories.
He worked on films across Canada and around the world, including India, Afghanistan, Ghana and throughout Europe. His films won many awards including Genies. He attended the Oscars when his film "Helicopter Canada" was nominated. The film was Canada's office centennial film. For two years he travelled across the country filming. The helicopter used was a Allouette II, chosen for its ability at high altitudes in order to be able to film in the western mountains.
In the early 1970's he moved out to Vancouver BC to be the technical producer for the NFB office. He eventually went back to his first love of being a hands on film maker. He worked with many young film makers in British Columbia. During his time in Vancouver he worked on a number of films including directing "Canaries to Clydesdales" about two vets interior of the province, "Pacific Highliner" about the fishing industry. Over his career he worked on close to 200 films in various capacities.
Prior to getting into film he worked as a taxi driver, specialty welder and in aircraft factories mainly in BC and Ontario. He initially got into still photography by accident. A fare left a camera in the car one day and a little later in the day he came across an car crash. He use the camera to take some photos and took them to the local paper. He was offered some work based on what they saw. He did stills work in Saskatoon for a while. One of his favourite things was to take photos of visiting bands. He was interested in music and played in a number of bands.
Skilled like his father in woodwork and metal craft, he often developed special tools for film making, including a camera crane system. For a film about logging, he made a rig and pole system that allowed him to drop a film camera in a manner that simulated the falling of a tree.
He died in Richmond, BC in March 2003.
Helicopter Canada
Helicopter Canada is a 1966 Canadian documentary film directed by Eugene Boyko. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.Filmed in CinemaScope, the film was made for international distribution during the Canadian centennial...
was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
He started with the NFB in the early 50's while it was still based in Ottawa. He moved with his wife Delia to Montreal when the head office was transferred. He has a daughter Debbie (DB)Boyko and son Lee Boyko, both of whom work in the cultural sector.
In 1986, he was diagnosed with Haemochromatosis
Haemochromatosis
Haemochromatosis type 1 is a hereditary disease characterized by excessive intestinal absorption of dietary iron resulting in a pathological increase in total body iron stores. Humans, like most animals, have no means to excrete excess iron...
after reading a magazine article about the work of Marie Warder
Marie Warder
Marie Warder is a journalist, novelist and activist best known for her activities raising awareness about hemochromatosis...
, founder of the Canadian Haemochromatosis Societyhttp://www.toomuchiron.ca.
His cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
credits include serving as director of photography of Donald Brittain's 1964 film Fields of Sacrifice
Fields of Sacrifice
Fields of Sacrifice is a 1964 documentary by Donald Brittain about Canadian war dead. The film visits former battlefields where over 100,000 Canadian soldiers lost their lives in World War I and World War II and examines Canadian military cemeteries and memorials from Hong Kong to...
.
Fields was one of the films he was most proud of as it provided a sense of dignity of the fallen, without glorify war. During the early 70's he worked with a number of aboriginal film makers as part of the NFB efforts to help people tell their own stories.
He worked on films across Canada and around the world, including India, Afghanistan, Ghana and throughout Europe. His films won many awards including Genies. He attended the Oscars when his film "Helicopter Canada" was nominated. The film was Canada's office centennial film. For two years he travelled across the country filming. The helicopter used was a Allouette II, chosen for its ability at high altitudes in order to be able to film in the western mountains.
In the early 1970's he moved out to Vancouver BC to be the technical producer for the NFB office. He eventually went back to his first love of being a hands on film maker. He worked with many young film makers in British Columbia. During his time in Vancouver he worked on a number of films including directing "Canaries to Clydesdales" about two vets interior of the province, "Pacific Highliner" about the fishing industry. Over his career he worked on close to 200 films in various capacities.
Prior to getting into film he worked as a taxi driver, specialty welder and in aircraft factories mainly in BC and Ontario. He initially got into still photography by accident. A fare left a camera in the car one day and a little later in the day he came across an car crash. He use the camera to take some photos and took them to the local paper. He was offered some work based on what they saw. He did stills work in Saskatoon for a while. One of his favourite things was to take photos of visiting bands. He was interested in music and played in a number of bands.
Skilled like his father in woodwork and metal craft, he often developed special tools for film making, including a camera crane system. For a film about logging, he made a rig and pole system that allowed him to drop a film camera in a manner that simulated the falling of a tree.
He died in Richmond, BC in March 2003.