ORION: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING tells the story of Jimmy Ellis—an unknown singer plucked from obscurity and thrust into the spotlight as part of a crazy scheme that had him masquerade as Elvis, back from the grave. With a fictional identity torn from the pages of a best-selling novel, the backing of the legendary Sun Records, and a voice that seemed to be the very twin of Presley’s, the scheme exploded into a cult success and gave rise to the “Elvis is alive” myth. This is the story behind that story. Who was that masked man?
Jeanie Finlay is one of Britain’s most distinctive documentary makers, creating award-winning work for cinema and television, telling intimate stories to international audiences. She has made films for HBO, IFC and four commissions for acclaimed BBC Storyville, including BIFA nominated The Great Hip Hop Hoax and BIFA winning Orion:The Man Who Would Be King.
Whether inviting audiences to share the (extra)ordinary journey of a British transgender man, pregnant with his child (BIFA nominated Seahorse), behind the scenes of Teesside’s last record shop in her home-town (SOUND IT OUT), or onto the set of the world’s biggest television show (Emmy nominated Game Of Thrones: The Last Watch), all of Jeanie's films share an empathetic approach to bringing overlooked and untold stories to the screen.
In 2023 a recipient of a prestigious Chicken & Egg award, recognising directors at advanced stages of their careers, poised to reach new heights.
Her films were showcased in a retrospective at Museum of Moving Image, NYC, People Everyday: The Films of Jeanie Finlay, by True Story, UK, are held in the archive at the British Film Institute and are featured on the BFI Player, part of The Camera is Ours: Britain's Women Documentary Makers. Her. films are showcased on Criterion in a collection called People Person: Documentaries by Jeanie Finlay.
Jeanie was awarded an honorary Doctorate by her alma mater Nottingham Trent University in recognition of her contribution to filmmaking.
