14 Oct – Acclaimed Hollywood cinematographer Harris Savides, who gained fame with his brilliant work in Gus Van Sant's Oscar-winning film "Milk" and Ridley Scott's "American Gangster", has just passed away in New York on Wednesday night, according to Associated Press. Savides's representatives from The Skouras Agency have confirmed news of his death, but no cause of death had been stated. He was 55. The New York-born cinematographer first started out as a photographer in the fashion industry, following which, he landed a job as a music video assistant director for director Mark Romanek. He was involved in Madonna's "Rain", Fiona Apple's "Criminal" and Michael Jackson's memorable "Scream", which cost US$7 million and became the most expensive music video of all time. When he moved into the movie industry, aside from "Milk", Savides was known for his frequent collaboration with Van Sant, such as in "Finding Forester", "Gerry", "Elephant", "Last Days" and "Restless". Savides won Best Cinematographer at the 2003 New York Film Critics Circle Awards and was nominated for a BAFTA award in the cinematography category for his contribution in "American Gangster" back in 2008. The last feature film he shot was Sofia Coppola's "The Bling Ring", a crime drama film that was inspired by actual events of a group of fame-obsessed teenagers who use the Internet to track celebrities' whereabouts in order to rob their homes. "The Perks Of Being A Wallflower" actress Emma Watson is set to star in one of the lead roles.
"The Bling Ring" will be released in the United States next year. "Like everyone who met him, I loved Harris. I learned so much about filmmaking from him and we have his beautiful work to remember him by. He was a great artist and a great man. He will always inspire those of us who worked with him to do our best," said Sofia Coppola.