Kevin Rafferty
Encyclopedia
Kevin Rafferty is an American
documentary film
cinematographer, director, and producer, best known for his 1982 documentary The Atomic Cafe
.
. He helped teach the craft of filmmaking to Michael Moore
during the production of Roger & Me
in 1989. Rafferty teamed up with his brother Pierce
and Jayne Loader
to produce the cult classic
documentary film
The Atomic Cafe
. He is the director, producer, editor and cinematographer of many documentary projects, including Blood in the Face, The War Room
, Feed, and The Last Cigarette. His latest project is Harvard Beats Yale 29-29
.
wrote "Its anger and courage are the kind that lead to reform". St. Petersberg Times film critic Tom Sabulis wrote of The Atomic Cafe that it was "a stunning compilation of U.S. government propaganda of the 40s and 50s" whose "impact is both nostalgic and frightening".
Michael Atkinson of IFC
calls Rafferty's latest, Harvard Beats Yale 29-29, "a hypnotic pleasure," and Fast Company
calls it an "engrossing documentary" which was "the best sports film we’ve seen in years", and Manhola Dargis of New York Times writes "while it seems absurd to include such a picayune event in the annals, the filmmaker Kevin Rafferty makes the case for remembrance and for the art of the story in his preposterously entertaining documentary Harvard Beats Yale 29-29".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
cinematographer, director, and producer, best known for his 1982 documentary The Atomic Cafe
The Atomic Cafe
The Atomic Cafe is an American documentary film produced and directed by Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty, and Pierce Rafferty.-Synopsis:The film covers the beginnings of the era of nuclear warfare, created from a broad range of archival film from the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s - including newsreel...
.
Background
Rafferty studied architecture at Harvard and film at the California Institute of the ArtsCalifornia Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
. He helped teach the craft of filmmaking to Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
during the production of Roger & Me
Roger & Me
Roger & Me is a 1989 American documentary film directed by Michael Moore. Moore portrays the regional negative economic impact of General Motors CEO Roger Smith's summary action of closing several auto plants in Flint, Michigan, costing 30,000 people their jobs at the time and economically...
in 1989. Rafferty teamed up with his brother Pierce
Pierce Rafferty
Filmmaker Pierce Rafferty grew up in Connecticut and moved to New York City in 1982. Some of his relatives include grandfather Marvin Pierce, president and later chairman of McCall Corporation, the publisher of the popular women's magazines Redbook and McCall's; and an early New England colonist...
and Jayne Loader
Jayne Loader
Jayne Loader is an American director and writer. She co-directed The Atomic Cafe with Pierce Rafferty and Kevin Rafferty. She is the author of Between Pictures , a novel, and Wild America , a collection of short stories. In 1995, Jayne created the CD-ROM and Website Public Shelter...
to produce the cult classic
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
The Atomic Cafe
The Atomic Cafe
The Atomic Cafe is an American documentary film produced and directed by Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty, and Pierce Rafferty.-Synopsis:The film covers the beginnings of the era of nuclear warfare, created from a broad range of archival film from the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s - including newsreel...
. He is the director, producer, editor and cinematographer of many documentary projects, including Blood in the Face, The War Room
The War Room
The War Room is a 1993 American documentary film about Bill Clinton's campaign for President of the United States during the 1992 presidential election.-Background:...
, Feed, and The Last Cigarette. His latest project is Harvard Beats Yale 29-29
Harvard Beats Yale 29-29
Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 is a 2008 documentary by filmmaker Kevin Rafferty, covering the 1968 meeting between the football teams of Yale and Harvard in their storied rivalry...
.
As director or producer
- Harvard Beats Yale 29-29Harvard Beats Yale 29-29Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 is a 2008 documentary by filmmaker Kevin Rafferty, covering the 1968 meeting between the football teams of Yale and Harvard in their storied rivalry...
(2008) - Who Wants to Be President? (2000)
- The Last Cigarette (1999/I)
- Feed (1992)
- Blood in the Face (1991)
- The American Experience: Radio Bikini (1988)
- Radio BikiniRadio BikiniRadio Bikini is a 1988 American documentary film directed by Robert Stone. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1988 for Best Documentary Feature....
(1988) - The Atomic CafeThe Atomic CafeThe Atomic Cafe is an American documentary film produced and directed by Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty, and Pierce Rafferty.-Synopsis:The film covers the beginnings of the era of nuclear warfare, created from a broad range of archival film from the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s - including newsreel...
(1982) - Hurry Tomorrow (1975)
As cinematographer
- Good Money (1996)
- The War RoomThe War RoomThe War Room is a 1993 American documentary film about Bill Clinton's campaign for President of the United States during the 1992 presidential election.-Background:...
(1993) - Roger & MeRoger & MeRoger & Me is a 1989 American documentary film directed by Michael Moore. Moore portrays the regional negative economic impact of General Motors CEO Roger Smith's summary action of closing several auto plants in Flint, Michigan, costing 30,000 people their jobs at the time and economically...
(1989)
Reception
Thom Powers of Harvardwood writes that Rafferty is "renowned for his wit and fresh perspectives on American culture". His various films have received positive reception. Of Hurry Tomorrow, Rafferty's documentary indictment of a California State psychiatric hospital, Colin Bennet of The AgeThe Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
wrote "Its anger and courage are the kind that lead to reform". St. Petersberg Times film critic Tom Sabulis wrote of The Atomic Cafe that it was "a stunning compilation of U.S. government propaganda of the 40s and 50s" whose "impact is both nostalgic and frightening".
Michael Atkinson of IFC
Independent Film Channel
The Independent Film Channel is an American cable TV network that airs independent film and related programming. IFC programming includes commercially interrupted feature-length films, original documentaries, shorts, animated series, original series, acquired series, and content exclusively for...
calls Rafferty's latest, Harvard Beats Yale 29-29, "a hypnotic pleasure," and Fast Company
Fast Company (magazine)
Fast Company is a full-color business magazine that releases 10 issues per year and reports on topics including innovation, digital media, technology, change management, leadership, design, and social responsibility...
calls it an "engrossing documentary" which was "the best sports film we’ve seen in years", and Manhola Dargis of New York Times writes "while it seems absurd to include such a picayune event in the annals, the filmmaker Kevin Rafferty makes the case for remembrance and for the art of the story in his preposterously entertaining documentary Harvard Beats Yale 29-29".
Recognition
- 1991, nomination, Grand Jury Prize for Blood in the Face by Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film FestivalThe Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
- 1983, nomination, Flaherty Documentary Award for Best Documentary for The Atomic Cafe by British Academy of Film and Television ArtsBritish Academy of Film and Television ArtsThe British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
External links
- Kevin Rafferty at All Movie GuideAll Movie GuideAllrovi is a commercial database launched by the Rovi Corporation in 2011. It compiles information about music and movies from the former services Allmovie and Allmusic.-Content:...