Longtime HFPA member Ahmed Lateef has died after suffering a stroke.

Ahmed, a member since 1973 , was regarded as a pioneer who paved the way for other Indian filmmakers who followed in his footsteps. His long and varied career culminated in him receiving the Indian Film Festival’s lifetime achievement award.

HFPA president Lorenzo Soria said: “Ahmed’s strength and determination to live and good humor through many difficulties has been an inspiration to all of us. We will miss him.”

After attending film school at UCLA in the 1950s, Ahmed worked as a cameraman for director Roger Corman, became a film editor and went on to direct more than 1,000 commercials, some with name stars and one with Salvador Dali, becoming the first Indian to win a coveted Clio award. He was also the first to make a music video, filming the first one in 1966 for Sergio Mendes. He also experimented with mixing music tracks and with 3D cell animation.

He had close ties to the Hawaiian Film Festival which until recently he visited annually.