Obituaries
Jonathan Demme Dies, Montclair Film Festival Mourns (VIDEO)
Watch the late director Jonathan Demme speak about how he entered the film biz at his 2015 Montclair Film Festival appearance.
MONTCLAIR, NJ — Award-winning director Jonathan Demme, a friend and supporter of the Montclair Film Festival, passed away on Wednesday morning in his Manhattan apartment at the age of 73, reports say.
The Montclair Film Festival identified Demme - the director of cinematic classics like "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Philadelphia” – as one of “America’s finest filmmakers.” He was a “generous” friend of the Montclair festival, staff said.
Demme’s appearance at the 2015 festival can be seen in the below video. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Montclair Facebook page here.
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- See related article: Montclair 2017 Film Festival Schedule Announced
Demme's publicist confirmed his death to multiple media outlets. Demme told the world he was diagnosed with cancer in 2015, according to the New York Times.
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"Jonathan passed away early this morning in his Manhattan apartment, surrounded by his wife, Joanne Howard, and three children," his publicist said in a statement. "He died from complications from esophageal cancer."
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Photo: YouTube screenshot, Montclair Film Festival
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