The Shanghai International Film Festival has issued the following statement regarding the death of Anthony Minghella who had been appointed president of the festival's competition jury this year:

'The Organising Committee of the Shanghai International Film Festival was greatly shocked upon hearing of the sudden death of Mr. Anthony Minghella.

His sudden departure has left us in a state of mourning. His passionate appreciation of Chinese culture and collaborations with Chinese filmmakers have won our deepest respect. We'd like to extend our sincerest condolences to this excellent and gifted filmmaker.

As a show of respect, we're making all efforts to organise a commemorative event during this year's Shanghai International Film Festival. We'll be inviting his close friends Juliette Binoche, Wong Kar-Wai, Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou and Jiang Wen to attend this commemorative event.'