John Refoua (left) with Avatar director James Cameron and editor Stephen Rivkin in 2010 (Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
John Refoua, a film editor who was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Avatar and was working on the third instalment, has died at the age of 62.
His death was confirmed by his wife Serena Refoua, who said in a statement that her husband died ‘surrounded by family and friends who loved him’ after being diagnosed with a rare cancer.
‘Dear friends, my brilliant, sweet, creative husband John Djahanshah Refoua passed away last night May 14 surrounded by family and friends who loved him,’ she wrote on Facebook.
‘He was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer, 15 months ago. Despite the pain and complexities of this aggressive disease, he faced it with courage and grit.’
Mrs Refoua said that Mr Refoua worked on the third Avatar movie, which is due to come out next year, ‘right up to his final weeks’.
‘His life’s trajectory was quite unique and anything he touched, he made better. He loved music, movies, politics, traveling, vintage cars, science fiction, and his 4 year old granddaughter Avery Sophia,’ she said.
The editor was working on Avatar 3 ‘right up to his final weeks’ (Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Relativity Media)
‘We will miss his generosity and wisdom. A celebration of John Refoua’s life is being planned and details will be posted. Thank you to everyone who helped him and spent time with him this last year.’
Mrs Refoua requested that instead of sending flowers, well-wishers donate to the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, a non-profit organisation that was founded in 2006.
It states on the website that they are committed to their ‘mission’ to ‘find a cure and improve the quality of life for cholangiocarcinoma patients’.
‘Anything he touched, he made better,’ his wife said (Picture: Angela Weiss/Getty Images)
In 2009, the first Avatar movie received the most nominations at the Academy Awards, reaching a total of nine nods.
Of those nine, it won in three categories for best art direction, best cinematography and best visual effects, missing out on awards including best director and best original score.
Mr Refoua’s other work included working on TV programmes such as Angel, Twin Peaks and Law & Order.
He recently worked on the second Avatar movie, The Way of Water, which grossed more than $2billion (£1.6bn) worldwide.
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The editor was working on Avatar 3 ‘right up to his final weeks’.
