British critic Tony Rayns, champion of East Asian cinema, dies at 78

Tony Rayns, the British film critic, festival programmer and screenwriter who spent decades championing East Asian cinema to Western audiences, died on 7 July at the age of 78 following an accidental fall down the stairs at his home. His sister Stephanie Gowman confirmed the news in an email to Variety. Rayns was widely regarded as the foremost Western advocate for East Asian film.