Film Director Anthony Minghella Dies

[MHD]

I am really shocked to hear that director Anthony Minghella has died. The English Patient is one of my favourite films. He was an extremely talented film maker and will be sadly missed. Cause of death has not been disclosed.

This from the BBC website...

Director Minghella dies aged 54

Minghella won an Oscar for directing The English Patient

British film director Anthony Minghella has died at the age of 54, his agent has said.

Minghella, whose films include Truly, Madly, Deeply and Cold Mountain, was chairman of the British Film Institute.

In 1996, he won an Oscar for directing The English Patient and was also Oscar-nominated for writing the screenplay for 1999's The Talented Mr Ripley.

He has also directed a TV episode of book The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, due to be screened this Easter.

A 90-minute pilot, directed by Minghella and co-written with Richard Curtis, is due to be screened on BBC One.

Minghella began his career as a writer with his early radio plays winning several awards.

He made his first film, Truly, Madly, Deeply, in 1991, followed by The English Patient and The Talented Mr Ripley.

When he took on the role of chairman of the British Film Institute (BFI) in 2003, he told the BBC: "We're not getting enough movies made here, our studios aren't busy enough, we don't have enough studios.

"We're not good at lassoing the talent we have here and containing it within the British Isles, and we should all be working to address that."

[Mangani]

RIP.

His family is famous on the Isle Of Wight for making ice cream.

Sad news.

[The Pagemeister]

Truly Madly Deeply was a great film.

[Cactus]

IMDB says it was a fatal haemorhage during neck surgery.