Steve Lawson was a force in the local community and touched so many organizations, including many contributions to Images Cinema. We are saddened to lose our friend, supporter, and avid champion of film, who died February 7. 

He was the founder and Director of the Williamstown Film Festival for 15 years, and served as a member of the Images Board of Directors for the same number of years. 

He took great joy in bringing independent films and documentaries to the Berkshires. Always interested in the story behind the story, he inevitably included an actor, writer, or director on stage to discuss the films he presented. He was legendary at leading those conversations providing great connections, trivia, and insights to the topic at hand. His inclusion of the short form medium in the film festival also heralded new directors and gave them a place to call home. 

Steve was always at the ready with a fascinating film-related fact. His love of trivia came in handy during his appearances on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me (which he was very proud of). He posted weekly film trivia questions on his home answering machine, and he hosted and wrote many, if not all of the questions for Images Cinema's 10th Anniversary (as a non-profit) Team Trivia Fundraiser.

In addition to local impact, his writing talents were evident. He wrote for television, including St. Elsewhere and the Dick Cavett Show , nationally for publications as diverse as the New York Times , Travel and Leisure , and Saturday Review . 

But above all, he believed in the power of film, the power of community, and the potential when combining both together. 

And the Oscar for Best Film Instigator goes to... Steve Lawson.