American film director, screenwriter, producer, and Oscar winner in the category of the best documentary film of 1997, Leon Gast died at the age of 85. His colleague Meira Blaustein wrote on a Facebook page.
"He was a giant of a filmmaker, an absolute joy of a human being, and a very dear and beloved friend. I am grateful for all the evenings I spent with him. He meant a lot to all of us," Blaustein wrote.
Gast has been involved in cinema since the late 1960s. The director made his first film in 1972 and the last one in 2015.
The documentary "When We Were Kings" received special jury recognition at the Sundance Film Festival in 1996, an Oscar for Best Documentary, and a Spirit Award. The film tells the story of a fight between famous boxers Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, which took place on October 1, 1975.
Also, one of his most famous and recent films was "Smash His Camera," which was released in 2010. It tells the story of a paparazzi pioneer, Ron Galella.
