The king of independent cinema, American director and producer Roger Corman, our dear guest from 2008, who has left an indelible mark on film history, has passed away. He directed unforgettable masterpieces, such as The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), A Bucket of Blood (1959), X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963), The Wild Angels (1966) and Bloody Mama (1970), while a special place in his fascinating filmography is taken by horror films, based upon the works of Edgar Allan Poe, such as The Fall of the House of Usher (1960), Tales of Terror (1962), The Raven (1963) and The Masque of the Red Death (1964). He produced nearly 500 films, many of them are cult classics. Among the directors he mentored and gave them a start are Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, Peter Bogdanovich, Joe Dante, John Sayles and James Cameron. He is also known as the Godfather of New Hollywood, which has changed the movie landscape in the 1970s. Some of the actors he helped launch into stardom are Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson, Dennis Hopper, Bruce Dern, Diane Ladd and William Shatner.
We had the immense joy and honour to be able to have Roger Corman as guest on our 2008 festival edition, where he received the Honorary Vicious Cat award, a year before he received the Academy Honorary Award. Since his visit, every year a film workshop called Little Workshop of Horrors is held in his honour. He also has his star at the Walk of Fame in the centre of Ljutomer. The world of cinema has lost a true giant, but his incredibly immense movie legacy will last forever. We extend our sincere condolences to family and friends.
