Popular Italian filmmaker Lina Wertmuller, the first Oscar-nominated female director, has died. She was 93 when she breathed her last.
As per Variety, the veteran director passed away on Thursday. Wertmuller's death was first reported in the Italian media. According to a friend, the writer and director died "peacefully at home, next to her daughter and loved ones."
Over her illustrious career, Wertmuller helmed a number of films, including her directional debut, 1963's 'The Basilisks', as well as 1972's 'The Seduction of Mimi', 1973's 'Love & Anarchy' and 1974's 'Swept Away'.
In 1975, her film 'Seven Beauties' was released, which got her an Academy Award nomination and made her the first woman to ever receive an Oscar nomination for Best Director. However, Wertmuller lost to John G. Avildsen for 'Rocky'.
The last feature film that Wertmuller directed was 2004's 'Too Much Romance... It's Time for Stuffed Peppers'.
In 2019, Wertmuller was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and also received an honorary Academy Award for her achievements in motion pictures, as per Variety.
Wertmuller was married to Enrico Job, a production and costume designer who worked on several of her films, until his death in 2008.
She is survived by a daughter, Maria Zulima Job, an occasional actor. Wertmuller's funeral will be held in Rome on Saturday.
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