Capote producer William Vince dies at 44

Vancouver-based film producer William Vince, an Oscar-nominee in 2007 for producing the biopic Capote, has died at the age of 44.

Vince died on Saturday after a lengthy battle with cancer.

"Bill wore his heart on his sleeve, thank God. He'd fight with you, thank God. He knew how to hug, thank God," Capote star and best actor Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman said in a statement on Tuesday.

"He was attracted to passion, therefore I was attracted to him. He stood by me and I'll never forget it. I loved him, loved him."

Founder and president of production company Infinity Features, Vince had producer credits that included The Snow Walker, Saved! and Terry Gilliam's upcoming Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Heath Ledger's final film. He also produced the  Airbud series of children's films.

Vince was also praised for the social work he did in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood, where he helped establish and fund drug-addiction treatment programs and worked to redevelop an abandoned theatre.

Vince is survived by his wife, Cynthia Miles, and three children: Miles, Michaela and Nathanial.