Academy Award Film Producer. For 32 years, he produced on some of Hollywood's biggest films and was New Zealand's first Academy Award winner. Raised in Auckland, New Zealand, he began his career as a photojournalist, earning him entry into The National Film School in England in 1973. Soon his talent aspects for filmmaking, led to producing films for International independent companies with is first feature production effort for "Battletruck" (1979). In 1981, he won the Oscar for his live-action short "The Dollar Bottom", a film about a group of school boys who set up an insurance scheme against being caned by their teachers. Relocating to Hollywood, California, he worked with an A-list of directors, such as producing Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" (2009) and Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's "The Tourist" (2010). Some of his other credits included "Twelve Monkeys" (1995), "The Edge" (1997), "Vertical Limit" (2000), "Beyond Borders" (2003), "The Legend of Zorro" (2005) and "The International" (2009). In 2009, his work was featured in an exhibit in Berlin and he also published a photo journal from each of the film projects he produced. He died of a heart attack at age 63.
Academy Award Film Producer. For 32 years, he produced on some of Hollywood's biggest films and was New Zealand's first Academy Award winner. Raised in Auckland, New Zealand, he began his career as a photojournalist, earning him entry into The National Film School in England in 1973. Soon his talent aspects for filmmaking, led to producing films for International independent companies with is first feature production effort for "Battletruck" (1979). In 1981, he won the Oscar for his live-action short "The Dollar Bottom", a film about a group of school boys who set up an insurance scheme against being caned by their teachers. Relocating to Hollywood, California, he worked with an A-list of directors, such as producing Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" (2009) and Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's "The Tourist" (2010). Some of his other credits included "Twelve Monkeys" (1995), "The Edge" (1997), "Vertical Limit" (2000), "Beyond Borders" (2003), "The Legend of Zorro" (2005) and "The International" (2009). In 2009, his work was featured in an exhibit in Berlin and he also published a photo journal from each of the film projects he produced. He died of a heart attack at age 63.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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