Simon Field obit

Simon Field Dies: Former Rotterdam Film Festival Head & ICA Cinema Director Was 80

 He was not on the list.

Simon Field, the pioneering film programmer and champion of filmmakers such as Wang Bing, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and Christopher Nolan, has died. He was 80.

Field died on July 16. The news was confirmed by the veteran film critic Geoff Andrew, who posted an obituary of Field on his blog. Andrew was shortly followed by the Rotterdam Film Festival, which shared a tribute to Field over the weekend.

Field was Festival Director and Co-Director at Rotterdam from 1996 to 2004. During his tenure, filmmakers who passed through the festival’s Tiger Competition and won awards include Lou Ye, Christopher Nolan, Hong Sang Soo and Pablo Trapero.

Before Rotterdam, Field was a Film Studies writer and lecturer. He was the founding editor of the radical film journal Afterimage, and in 1988 served as the Director of Cinema at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), a position he held until joining Rotterdam in 1996.

After Rotterdam, Field joined Keith Griffiths’ Illumination Films, where he produced titles by filmmakers such as Tsai Ming-liang, Apitchatpong Weerasthakul, and Garin Nugroho. Field continued to work closely with Weerasethakul over the years and produced his Palme d’Or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) and his most recent title, Memoria (2012).

Weerasethakul shared a tribute to Field in an Instagram post. Weerasethakul wrote: “I have lost an important companion, with whom we built the films together with love, over many years. I cannot dream of a more caring and supportive producer, and a kind gentleman. We were up against changing practices in filmmaking and film funding. But Simon never gave up, nor compromised.”

Weerasethakul’s tribute ended: “I will carry him in gratitude, and in the work we still have to finish. Our bond through images will continue to bind others. He is in the light that touches the leaves, young and old. We will continue our journey with the love he showed me.”