Indie filmmaker Lynn Shelton sadly passed away at age 54 on Friday evening. According to a statement by Shelton’s representatives, she died of a previously undiagnosed blood disorder.
Shelton popularized the “mumblecore” genre with films such as “Laggies,” “Humpday,” “Your Sister’s Sister,” “Outside In,” and last year’s “Sword of Trust.” Her style, much like most of the mumblecore genre, was letting her actors improvise their dialogue and an assortment of humane characters filling the frames of her films.
He romantic partner for some years now and WTF podcast host Marc Maron shared a statement:
“I have some awful news. Lynn passed away last night. She collapsed yesterday morning after having been ill for a week. There was a previously unknown, underlying condition. It was not COVID-19. The doctors could not save her. They tried. Hard.
“I loved her very much, as I know many of you did as well. It’s devastating. I am leveled, heartbroken, and in complete shock and don’t really know how to move forward in this moment. I needed you all to know. I don’t know some of you. Some I do. I’m just trying to let the people who were important to her know.
“She was a beautiful, kind, loving, charismatic artist. Her spirit was pure joy. She made me happy. I made her happy. We were happy. I made her laugh all the time. We laughed a lot. We were starting a life together. I really can’t believe [this] is happening. This is a horrendous, sad loss.”
If you’re unfamiliar with Shelton’s filmography I would start with “Humpday,” “Laggies,” and “Outside In” which are her three best works.