We are saddened to learn that Jeremy Thomas has passed away at 77 years-old.

The legendary British producer and Oscar winner helped bring to life over 80 films across six decades in the film industry. From Nagisa Oshima’s Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence and Bernardo Bertolucci’s Best Picture winner The Last Emperor to Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast and David Cronenberg’s Crash, Thomas made a name for himself as a champion of international cinema and of daring, boundary-pushing auteur filmmakers.

Born Jeremy Jack Thomas on 26 July 1949 in London, he came from a film family—his father Ralph Thomas directed the Doctor series, and his uncle Gerald Thomas helmed the Carry On franchise. He started young, working his way up from the processing labs to the cutting room as an assistant editor, before producing his first film, Mad Dog Morgan, in 1976 after working in Australia with director Philippe Mora. He leaves behind a monumental legacy.

Charles Finch, founder and Editor-in-chief of A Rabbit’s Foot, remembers Thomas as a longtime friend. “He made great movies, and was a loyal and dear friend. His father, Ralph, made a film with my father, Peter, called No Love for Johnnie. We spent plenty of time talking movies, cars, and praising the devilled kidneys at Wilton’s. On behalf of the entire team at A Rabbit’s Foot, we thank him for his work, wisdom, writing, and unwavering support of our publication.”

Here, you can revisit a special piece that Thomas wrote for our first issue, in which he reflects on his adventures at the Cannes Film Festival, mixing with the jet-set and Japanese cinema icons of his time. Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fasterds, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival lasr week, and Takashi Miike’s Bad Liutenant: Tokyo, premiering on September 14th at the Toronto International Film Festival, will cap off Thomas’ magnificent career.