Telluride Film Festival co-founder Tom Luddy has died, festival representatives have announced.
Luddy died on Monday (February 13) in Berkeley, California at 79 after a long illness, according to a statement from the festival.
The statement described Luddy as “a force in the film industry for nearly six decades. He had a life-long love and passion for film, and a tireless dedication to film restoration, distribution and exhibition. His presence will be profoundly missed by the many people whose lives were touched by his kindness, artistry, and his innate ability to bring people together to make something beautiful.”
Together with Bill and Stella Pence and James Card, Luddy co-founded the Telluride festival in l974 and helped it evolve into one of the world’s most revered film gatherings. He remained with the festival as co-director and then artistic director and advisor until the end of 2022.
Luddy began his career in film distribution in New York and served as a consultant or committee member for the New York, San Francisco and Berlin festivals.
From the late seventies he was associated with American Zoetrope as an executive or producer, working on projects including Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, Tough Guys Don’t Dance, Barfly and Wait Until Spring, Bandini.
Donations in Luddy’s memory can be made to Telluride festival’s General Support Fund or the National Film Preserve’s Nugget Project.
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