John Refua, a prolific film editor best known for his work on James Cameron’s “Avatar”, for which he received an Oscar nomination, died on Sunday after a 14-month battle with cancer. He was 58 years old.
His wife Serena made the news public on Monday.
“Dear friends, my brilliant, loving, creative husband John Jahanshah Refoua passed away last night May 14th surrounded by the family and friends who loved him. He was diagnosed 15 months ago with cholangiocarcinoma, a cancer in the bile duct is a rare cancer. she wrote on facebook,
“Despite the pain and complications of this aggressive disease, he faced it with courage and fortitude. He continued to work and edit on James Cameron’s ‘Avatar 3’ till his final weeks. His journey was quite unique and He improved everything he touched. He loved music, movies, politics, travel, vintage cars, science fiction, and his 4-year-old granddaughter, Avery Sophia.
A celebration of Rifaua’s life will be announced at a later date. His family is encouraging people to donate Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation instead of flowers
Born in New York City in 1964, Refua began his career in television with his first credit on David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks”. Among his film credits, he has appeared in “Reno 911!: Miami” (2007), “Balls of Fury” (2007), “Olympus Has Fallen” (2013), “The Magnificent Seven” (2016) and both on “Avatar”. Work done. 2: The Way of Water,’ and the upcoming ‘Avatar 3.
Refoua was nominated for Best Editing at the 2010 Academy Awards for his work on “Avatar” with James Cameron and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle.
