Anthony Minghella, a great British talent who was a hugely talented writer and director, passed away today at the age of fifty four.

He leaves a legacy of great films behind him, and will be a sorely missed talent in British and world wide film.

David Puttnam said it was a shattering blow, and through Yahoo News said:

"He was a great guy, a very, very nice man, a brilliant writer, excellent director."

British Film Institute Director Amanda Nevill said:

"His art was about communicating to you and allowing you to see the world differently. He was just such a wonderful man."

Anthony Minghella won an Academy Award for Best Director in 1996 for The English Patient, which gathered twelve Oscar nominations in all, and was nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay The Talented Mr Ripley.

The English Patient was one of his greatest films, but other momentous moments include Cold Mountain, The Talented Mr Ripley, Breaking and Entering (which I am about to watch), and his first film Truly, Madly, Deeply.

His last film, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, is set to air on BBC television this weekend and also HBO in the U.S.

Minghella was a great talent and will continue to be a huge influence in both British and world wide film industries.

Our sympathies are with his family, friends, and the British Film Industry.