Authority control databases
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Categories
Tom Luddy | |
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| Born | Thomas William Luddy June 4, 1943 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | February 13, 2023 (aged 79) Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley (BA) |
| Occupation | Film producer |
| Years active | 1980–2008 |
| Spouse | Monique Montgomery |
Thomas William Luddy (June 4, 1943 – February 13, 2023) was an American film producer and the co-founder of the Telluride Film Festival.[1] He has a longtime association with the production company American Zoetrope. He has been a member of the jury at the 11th Moscow International Film Festival,[2] the 38th Berlin International Film Festival[3] and the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.[4]
Luddy was born in New York City and raised in the suburb of White Plains, New York.[5] He moved to California to attend the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied English and became involved in political activism and the local film community.[5]
In the 1970s, Luddy organized screenings for the Pacific Film Archive at Berkeley, with a particular focus in bringing foreign films to the United States.[5] He also produced films, frequently for American Zoetrope.[5] He partially funded Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters on his personal credit card.[5]
In 1974, Luddy and a group of friends founded the Telluride Film Festival, envisioning it to be an event without the extensive media presence of other festivals, and screening a variety of new and old titles.[5]
Luddy was married to the former Monique Montgomery. He died from complications of Parkinson's disease at his home in Berkeley on February 13, 2023, at the age of 79.[5]