Moritz de Hadeln, the renowned film festival director who presided over the Locarno, Berlin, and Venice film festivals for many years, has passed away at the age of 85. De Hadeln died on Saturday, July 4, in a hospital in Nyon, Switzerland, due to complications following a recent medical procedure. This sad news was confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter by de Hadeln's biographer and CEO of the Zurich Film Festival, Christian Jungen.

Born in England in 1940, de Hadeln began his career as a documentary filmmaker and photographer. He directed his first feature film, "Le Pele," in 1963, followed by his second film, "Ombres et Mirages," in 1966. He worked as a film editor with Yves Allegret in Zurich and served as an assistant director at CCC Film Studios in Berlin. In 1969, he co-founded the Nyon International Documentary Film Festival (now known as the Visions du Reel festival) with his wife, Erika von dem Hagen, and managed the festival until 1979.

De Hadeln's career gained momentum when he took over the Locarno International Film Festival in 1972. During this time, he implemented innovations that helped the festival gain international recognition. Throughout his tenure in Locarno, he began organizing open-air screenings in Piazza Grande and added numerous side events. Invited to Berlinale in 1979, de Hadeln became the first festival director to use computer technology in data processing processes.

In the tumultuous political climate of the early 1980s, he was praised for bringing together East and West Berlin. Moritz de Hadeln will be remembered for his lasting impact on the world of film festivals and will be referred to as the "Film Festival Man."