Community Corner
Nora Ephron Dead at 71
The Los Angeles County native and famous screenwriter dies after battle with leukemia.
HOLLYWOOD (CNS) - The Directors Guild of America mourned Nora Ephron today and praised her for paving the way for other women filmmakers. Ephron, who helmed such celebrated comedies as "Sleepless in Seattle," "When Harry Met Sally..." and "Julie & Julia," died Tuesday at New York Presbyterian Hospital, where, largely unbeknown to the public, she was being treated for leukemia and pneumonia. She was 71.
"We were greatly saddened to learn of the passing of director Nora Ephron, 2011 recipient of the DGA Honors Filmmaker Award,'' DGA President Taylor Hackford said in a statement.
He noted that the guild, to mark its 75th Anniversary, last year celebrated game-changing directors who have made an indelible mark on our industry.
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"We are proud to have recognized Nora's contributions in honor of her prolific career as a director, producer, journalist, novelist, playwright and screenwriter,'' he said.
Even though Ephron did a great deal more than directing films, Hackford credited her for playing a transformative role in the film industry.
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"When she began directing, Nora was an inspiration for women filmmakers at a time when there were few female directors working in Hollywood,'' he said. "Nora, thanks for making it easier for the many directors who will continue to follow in your footsteps."
Ephron, who was born in New York and raised in Beverly Hills, directed eight feature films and had screenplay credits on more than a dozen productions.
She had three Oscar nominations -- for writing ``Sleepless in Seattle," "When Harry Met Sally..." and "Silkwood." As a playwright, she wrote "Imaginary Friends" and, with her sister Delia, "Love, Loss, and What I Wore."
At the time of her death, Ephron was was writing and hoped to direct a movie about a Jane Austen fan who switches places with one of the British author's fictional characters, the Los Angeles Times reported. She also had been developing a movie about the singer Peggy Lee and the play "Lucky Guy" about crime reporter David McAlary.
Ephron's survivors include her third husband, the writer Nicholas Pileggi; her sons from her second marriage to journalist Carl Bernstein, Jacob and Max Bernstein; and her three sisters.