Thousand Oaks (California), Dec. 22 -- Lewis Horwitz, a pioneering force in independent film finance whose behind-the-scenes influence helped shape modern Indie cinema, has died at the age of 90 at his residence in Thousand Oaks.
His family confirmed that he died of natural causes.
Working largely out of the spotlight, Horwitz played a decisive role in reshaping the business of filmmaking. After founding the Lewis Horwitz Organisation in 1980, he became known as the "King of Indie Film Finance," a maverick who helped shepherd projects from development through completion by lending to independent productions against foreign presales, a model still in use today.
In a special issue of The Hollywood Reporter dedicated to the 20th anniversary...