Nine Queens Director Fabian Bielinsky Dead at 47

Argentenian director Fabián Bielinsky, director of the criticially well-received crime caper Nine Queens, died Wednesday in Brazil of a heart attack at the age of 47. Bielinksky was in Brazil casting for commercials; he died in his hotel room. Nine Queens, a swindle story about a con to sell a sheet of  nine rare stamps (the "nine queens" of the title), was compared by many critics to David Mamet's films, especially to House of Games. Bielinksy had only made two films: Nine Queens (2000) and The Aura (2005), which was recently acquired by IFC First Take, the day-and-date distribution arm of IFC Entertainment.

[ via The IFC Blog ]