John Refoua
American film editor (1964–2023)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Refoua (December 8, 1964 – May 14, 2023) was an American film editor. He was nominated, alongside James Cameron and Stephen E. Rivkin, at the 2009 Academy Awards for Best Film Editing for the film Avatar.[1] He worked on television series, including Touched by an Angel, Twin Peaks, and Law & Order. He died from complications related to bile duct cancer at the age of 58.[2][3] His final film, Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) is dedicated to his memory.
John Refoua | |
|---|---|
Refoua in 2013 | |
| Born | December 8, 1964 |
| Died | May 14, 2023 (aged 58) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Film editor |
| Years active | 1990–2023 |
| Spouse | Serena Refoua |
Awards
Refoua had 2 wins and 8 nominations for his editing work. Won:
- 2010 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards for Best Editing on Avatar (2009) (Shared with: Stephen E. Rivkin)
- 2009 Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards for Best Film Editing on Avatar (2009) (Shared with: James Cameron and Stephen E. Rivkin)
Nominations:
- 2010 Academy Awards, USA for Best Achievement in Film Editing on Avatar (2009) (Shared with: Stephen E. Rivkin and James Cameron)
- 2010 BAFTA Awards for Best Editing on Avatar (2009) (Shared with: Stephen E. Rivkin and James Cameron)
- 2010 American Cinema Editors, USA for Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic) on Avatar (2009) (Shared with: Stephen E. Rivkin and James Cameron)
- 2010 Hollywood Post Alliance, US for Outstanding Editing on a Feature Film on Avatar (2009) (Shared with: Stephen E. Rivkin and James Cameron)
- 2010 Online Film & Television Association for Best Film Editing on Avatar (2009) (Shared with: Stephen E. Rivkin and James Cameron)
- 2010 Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Editing on Avatar (2009) (Shared with: Stephen E. Rivkin and James Cameron)
- 2009 Awards Circuit Community Award for Best Film Editing on Avatar (2009) (Shared with: Stephen E. Rivkin and James Cameron)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Soft Toilet Seats | Tina Valinsky | Co-edited with Robbie Adler, Lynel Moore, and Nancy Rosenblum |
| 2003 | Ghosts of the Abyss | James Cameron | Co-edited with David C. Cook, Ed W. Marsh, and Sven Pape |
| 2007 | Reno 911!: Miami | Robert Ben Garant | |
| Balls of Fury | |||
| 2009 | Avatar | James Cameron | Co-edited with Stephen E. Rivkin, and James Cameron |
| 2013 | 21 & Over | Jon Lucas, and Scott Moore | |
| Olympus Has Fallen | Antoine Fuqua | ||
| 2014 | The Equalizer | ||
| 2015 | Southpaw | ||
| 2016 | The Magnificent Seven | ||
| 2017 | Transformers: The Last Knight | Michael Bay | Co-edited with Mark Sanger, Debra Neil-Fisher, Roger Barton, Adam Gerstel, and Calvin Wimmer |
| Geostorm | Dean Devlin | Co-edited with Ron Rosen, and Chris Lebenzon | |
| 2022 | Avatar: The Way of Water | James Cameron | Co-edited with Stephen Rivkin, David Brenner, and James Cameron |
| 2025 | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Posthumous release; Co-edited with Stephen E. Rivkin, Nicholas de Toth, Jason Gaudio, and James Cameron; Dedicated to his memory |
