Lino Cassar dies

Well-known film critic and journalist Lino Cassar died yesterday at the age of 78. A winner of the Gold Award from the Institute of Journalism in 2007, Mr Cassar was editor of Iż-Żmien from 1967 to 1971 and the founder and then editor of satirical newspapers Ix-Xewka I and Ix-Xewka II from 1965 to 1978. Until some time ago he was a contributor to It-Torċa and also wrote regularly for Labour Party newspaper Kullħadd. He served as chairman of the Board of Film and Stage Censors from 1972 to 1987 and as managing director of the Mediterranean Film Studios. He also had a film column in The Times for a while. The Labour Party issued a statement expressing its condolences and describing him as a pillar of local journalism, ever loyal to his principles while always ready to elicit a smile from others.