Late film director Albert Pyun at the 41st Hawai'i International Film Festival.

Albert Pyun died in Las Vegas at the age of 69. His wife Cynthia Curnan confirmed the news on her Facebook page.

Curnan wrote that he sat with him for his last breath and it sounded like he was releasing the weight of the world.

He got his start in the industry as an intern in Japan for a TV series starring a Japanese actor, after working in various production houses in Hawaii. He moved to LA to become a full-time movie director after a long career as a film editor. His first feature, The Sword and the Sorcerer, was a cult hit and remains his highest-grossing film.

He was best known for his work with action movie stars of the 80s and 90s such as Jean- Claude Van Damme and Christopher Lambert, and his quick production times. He directed 22 films during the 90s, including the second and fourth Kickboxer films, as well as the three Captain America films. His films were produced by The Cannon Group.

From the 2000s onwards, Pyun would use his own money to finance his films. Only five films were made in the 2000s and four in the 2010s. His condition improved after he was diagnosed with multiplesclerosis and he was able to direct The Interrogation of Cheryl Cooper.

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