Malik Bendjelloul, the Academy award-winning director, writer, producer and editor of the documentary Searching for Sugar Man, has died of unknown causes. He was 36.
According to Variety, his body was found in Stockholm, though the police will not release the cause of death to the press at this time. Although, no foul play is suspected at this time in relation to how he died.
His death was first reported to the Associated Press by police spokesperson Pia Glenvik.
Born in Sweden, Benjelloul first started out appearing on TV as a child, before going on to study journalism and media production. Having produced several musical documentaries for Swedish television, and then having worked as a reporter on TV, he would go on to explode on the scene with the debut of his one and only film at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2012.
Centered on the life and career of Sixto Rodriguez, the film would go to also win a BAFTA, the IDA, a PGA and also a DGA. Among the most fascinating aspects of the film was that he shot several sequences on his iPhone after he started losing funds before completion, as well as the fact that the movie was accepted as Sundance's opening night film even before it was completed.
As a promising up-and-coming filmmaker, he will certainly be missed, and thoughts should be left to the family and friends of whom he still lives in thought.