Minneapolis, MN — February 27, 2026 — Pickett Pictures and Emergence Pictures are proud to announce that UNCLE ROY, the latest feature documentary from award-winning filmmaker Keri Pickett, will have its World Premiere at the 2026 Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival as part of the prestigious Open Horizons program.
An intimate and deeply personal portrait, UNCLE ROY follows Pickett’s beloved uncle, Roy Blakey — a world-traveling theatrical figure skater in the 1960s with Holiday on Ice who later became a pioneering photographer documenting both cultural icons and queer underground legends. As dementia reshapes his final years, Pickett becomes his full-time caregiver, racing against time to preserve his vast artistic archive and ensure his life’s work is not lost.
“My uncle, Roy Blakey, would be over the moon to know that his story is launching at Thessaloniki,” said Pickett. “Roy circled the globe twice as a theatrical skater. He believed deeply in living boldly and fully. ‘If you can see it, you can be it’ wasn’t just a phrase — it was how he moved through the world.”
Blakey’s lens captured iconic performers including Debbie Allen, Shirley MacLaine, and Kay Ballard, as well as queer cultural trailblazers Divine, Jackie Curtis, and Candy Darling — images that reflect both his artistry and the freedom he found behind the camera.
Initially inspired by Blakey’s archive, Pickett’s first feature, The Fabulous Ice Age (2014, Netflix), chronicled a century of ice shows and Roy’s quest to preserve their history. When efforts to secure a permanent home for his collection stalled, Pickett kept filming. As dementia entered their lives and she became his 24/7 caregiver, the project evolved into something far more intimate.
“The urgency of preserving Roy’s legacy deepened as hallucinatory dementia entered our lives,” Pickett said. “Elder care and end-of-life are themes I’ve explored throughout my career, but with UNCLE ROY, I reveal my heart in a way I never have before. This film documents the beautiful final years of our life together.”
The film joins a lineage of intimate, first-person American documentaries, including Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter (1994), Last Flight Home (2022), and A Photographic Memory (2024) — works that center family, memory, and care at the emotional core of cinema.
Director Keri Pickett and Producer Dawn Mikkelson will attend the world premiere in Thessaloniki and will be present in Greece from March 5–15 for screenings and interviews. Pickett is also available for advance interviews via Zoom.
Worldwide festival bookings are being handled by Jeffrey Winter and The Film Collaborative.
PRESS MATERIALS
Press Kit: https://uncleroyfilm.com/press/
Photos, secure screener, and additional information available upon request.
Roy Blakey’s New York Times obituary:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/arts/roy-blakey-dead.html
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Keri Pickett (Director/Producer/DP)
Award-winning artist, producer, director, and cinematographer, Pickett’s films include FINDING HER BEAT (2022), FIRST DAUGHTER AND THE BLACK SNAKE (2017), and THE FABULOUS ICE AGE (2013). Her work has screened at Mill Valley Film Festival, DOC NYC, Heartland Film Festival, Dance on Camera, and the American Indian Film Festival, among others. Broadcast and streaming partners include PBS, American Public Television, Amazon Prime, and Netflix. A renowned photographer, Pickett’s work has appeared in Life, Time, People, Stern, and Geo, and she has received fellowships from the Bush, McKnight, Jerome, and Target Foundations, as well as the National Endowment for the Arts. She served as an Envoy for the 2023/2024 American Film Diplomacy Program (U.S. State Department & USC School of Cinematic Arts).
Dawn Mikkelson (Producer/Editor)
Dawn Mikkelson is a filmmaker and 2023/2024 American Film Diplomacy Program Envoy. She has produced and directed seven award-winning independent feature documentaries, including MINNESOTA MEAN (2023), FINDING HER BEAT (2022), and RISKING LIGHT (2018). Her work highlights power and joy in the margins and includes branded storytelling for nonprofit, NGO, and governmental partners such as the European Union, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, and the Center for Victims of Torture.