Sergei Rakhlin Dies: Longtime HFPA Member & Screenwriter Was 78

Matt Grobar
·1 min read

Sergei Rakhlin, an entertainment reporter, screenwriter and longtime member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, died on January 21, the organization said. He was 78.

Rakhlin was born in Gorky, Russia in 1943, playing several key roles during his time with the HFPA, including as an executive producer of their annual Golden Globes awards ceremony.

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“Sergei was a strong advocate for international filmmakers and long pressed for their recognition and inclusion in Hollywood. His passion for films from across the globe was only surpassed by his support of the HFPA,” said HFPA President Helen Hoehne. “Sergei had a very active role within the Association, and he always cheered on the successes of his HFPA colleagues. His intelligence and kindness endeared him to anyone who met him.”

Prior to joining the embattled organization in 1996, Rakhlin worked as a General Producer, Artistic Director, and talk-show host at WMNB TV and Radio Station, Editor-in Chief of Panorama Newspaper and as a Hollywood analyst for the Voice of America Radio Station. He wrote for magazines, newspapers and online publications in the U.S., Russia, Latvia, Ukraine and Central Asia, his two produced screenplays being 2016’s Brutus and 2018’s Witnesses.

Rakhlin is survived by his wife Emilia and son, Nick.

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