Bingham Ray dies at 57

RayBingham Ray, who championed indie films throughout his career as co-founding father of October Films and prexy of United states . Artists and was recently named professional director in the San Francisco Bay Area Film Society, died Monday in Provo, Utah, after getting experienced two strokes the other day. He was 57.Ray happen to be attending the Arthouse Convergence symposium near Park City because he experienced the initial stroke and was make the hospital in Park City. He experienced another stroke and was gone to live in Provo, where he died. After 3 decades inside the indie film biz that ended getting a 3-year stint becoming an professional at Sydney Kimmel Entertainment, Ray had recently segued for the festival and academic world, being a programming consultant for the Film Society of Lincoln subsequently subsequently Center, consultant to Snagfilms and adjunct professor at NYU. He was named professional director in the org that runs the San Francisco Bay Area Intl. Film Fest in November, following a dying of SFFS director Graham Leggat. The fest happens yearly in April. "The board of company company directors and staff in the Film Society are stunned and deeply saddened with the untimely dying within our executive director Bingham Ray. We within the Film Society as well as the entire film community have mislaid far too early an engaged and visionary impact player which has aided shape the independent film niche for many years in many important and valuable ways," mentioned Pat McBaine, San Francisco Bay Area Film Society board leader. The San Francisco Bay Area Film Society's annual Sundance party remains cancelled.In 1991, Ray and Rob Lipsky co-founded October Films, which was most likely probably the most influential indie distribs with the the 19 nineties until its purchase to USA Systems in 1999. At October, he acquired films including Mike Leigh's "Secrets and Lies," Lars von Trier's "Damaging the Waves" and Jim Jarmusch's "Lost Highway." Their films won two Oscars. In 2001, he was named prexy of MGM subsid United states . Artists, where he acquired and produced films including Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine," which won the feature doc Oscar, "Hotel Rwanda" and "Ghost World." He left UA in 2004.In 2007 he grew to become part of La-based Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, where he offered leader of Kimmel Distribution and leader of creative matters. He supervised marketing and distribution plans for your original "Dying inside a Funeral," "Consult with Me," "Lars as well as the Real Girl" and "Synecdoche, N.Y." and was responsible for the development and output of the remake of "Dying inside a Funeral," additionally to supervisory the development of a seven-film production slate.Ray began his career three decades ago as manager-programmer in the Bleecker Street Cinema, then labored just like a booker for United states . Artists, NYer Films, the Samuel Goldwyn Co. and Avenue Entertainment. Among the overall game game titles he done were identifying game game titles in the thriving era of independent film including "Sid and Nancy," "Prick Your Ears," "Pharmacy Cowboy," "Hope and Glory," "Sweetie" and "During The Night, My Sweet." He offered just like a jury member for your Sundance, Rotterdam and Edinburgh film festivals as well as the Film Independent Spirit Honours and contains lectured on film production and rise in the town College of NY's Graduate Film School and Columbia furthermore to NYU.Ray is managed to get by his wife Nancy King, three children and a pair of brothers and sisters. Contact Pat Saperstein at pat.saperstein@variety.com