‘Blood Quantum’ Filmmaker Jeff Barnaby Has Passed Away at 46

John Squires

Back in 2020, Indigenous filmmaker Jeff Barnaby applied his fresh perspective to the zombie movie with Blood Quantum, one of the year’s very best horror movies. Today Bloody Disgusting is deeply sad to report the news that Barnaby has passed away at just 46 years old.

Prior to Blood Quantum, Barnaby directed several short films including From Cherry English and The Colony, and he directed his first feature in 2013 with Rhymes for Young Ghouls.

With Barnaby’s passing, we’ve lost a talented filmmaker whose career was only just beginning. More importantly, a filmmaker whose voice and perspective are truly irreplaceable.

An official statement sent to press this afternoon reports, “Acclaimed filmmaker Jeff Barnaby passed away after a year-long battle with cancer. Jeff was born and raised on the Mi’gmaq community of Listuguj. He spent his adult life living in Montreal, Quebec and is survived by his wife Sarah Del Seronde and son Miles.

“Jeff Barnaby redefined Indigenous cinema by injecting elements of magic realism, body horror, and sci-fi into Indigenous stories. He never would have called his films Indigenous Futurism, but his films invented the genre. George Stroumboulopoulos once called Jeff’s work “Bare Knuckle Cinema”, as apt a description if there ever was one.

“Jeff Barnaby’s passion for film was ignited from the time he was a child, relishing in horror and sci-fi films he watched with his brothers. Early influences ranged from David Cronenberg’s Rabid to films Conan the Barbarian, Bladerunner, Predator, and the Quebecois classic Léolo. Jeff’s gift for filmmaking solidified when he moved to Montreal to attend Dawson College and later Concordia University’s Cinema Program. From the beginning, Jeff’s vision and his groundbreaking stories were rooted in his experience growing up in Gespe’gewa’gi.

“Jeff’s sophomore feature film, Blood Quantum (2019), is a raucous Zombie film and critique of colonialism where Indigenous peoples are immune to the zombie plague. It was nominated for 10 Canadian Screen Awards and won 6, as well as being nominated for 5 IRIS awards. The film was originally conceived in 2007 but it would take 12 years to put the project together. The award-winning film was inspired by horror masters like John Carpenter and George Romero and most importantly by Alanis Obomoswain’s Incident at Restigouche which was shot on Jeff’s home reserve when he was 4 years old. It was a film that touched him deeply.”

Friend and producer John Christou says, “Jeff Barnaby’s films changed Canada, and played an outsize role in advancing the cultural and political imperative to reconcile with Indigenous peoples. His mastery of the craft, his storytelling, his uncompromising vision, and his humanity, shine through his work. My greatest hope is that the next generation of Indigenous filmmakers will pick up the torch and honour his legacy by being equally uncompromising in the realization of their vision. The film industry has lost a visionary and unique voice, but more importantly, many of us have lost a friend. We are comforted in knowing that Jeff’s legacy will live on through his incredible work. My love and deepest condolences go out to Sarah and Miles.”

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