Canadian producer founded Britain’s Goldcrest Films and worked on Oscar winners such as Chariots Of Fire.
Jake Eberts has died, aged 71, following a brief illness.
The Canadian producer was diagnosed with uveal melanoma, a rare cancer of the eye, in late 2010, which recently spread to his liver.
Having graduated from McGill University, Eberts began work as a start-up engineer for L’Air Liquide in Europe and worked on Wall Street before moving to England in 1971 to join brokerage and investment company Oppenheimer & Co.
Along with David Puttnam, Eberts founded independent British production company Goldcrest Films in 1977 and went on work on the likes of Chariots Of Fire, Gandhi, The Killing Fields and Local Hero. During this time, he also set up Pathé affiliate Allied Filmmakers in 1985 and worked on The Name Of The Rose and Driving Miss Daisy, among others.
He left Goldcrest Films in 1987, going on to work on films such as Dances With Wolves, James And The Giant Peach, Chicken Run and Open Range through the 90s and early 2000s.
Eberts became chairman of National Geographic Feature Films (NGFF) in 2002 where he executive produced Two Brothers and under his leadership, NGFF enjoyed success with March Of The Penguins.
He is survived by his wife Fiona, his sons Alexander and David, and daughter Lindsay.
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