Ed Pressman was sui generis.
He was a rebel with a bowtie.
He was a shy, soft-spoken man with a bold vision and relentless drive.
Alessandro Camon, (Inset) Edward R. PressmanCourtesy/Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
He was an original thinker, even an eccentric, sometimes a contrarian, always a dreamer.
Once he fell in love with a project, he would never give up.
No solution was too far-fetched, and no attempt that failed 20 times wasnt worth trying again.
He wasnt always easy to work with, but he made it worth it.
Looking at Eds list of credits is like looking at a history of independent cinema.
He loved discovering talent and promoting new voices.
He gravitated toward the rebels, the outsiders, the mavericks and rule-breakers.
He loved doing things differently.
I worked for Ed for about a decade.
I talked way too much about Pasolini, and didnt really want to be a producer, anyway.
Ed was a family man.
Its not that he didnt fully appreciate the difference.
Its that he knew there was a place for all.
Did I mention he was eccentric?
You might say that there was a paradoxical quality about Ed: He was quietly formidable.
He stood out without trying or, in fact, trying not to.
The film came in on schedule and on budget.
Ed was typically good with oversized personalities: He would just zero in on what really mattered to them.
He was also very good at asking for advice.
People usually would agree, because they knew that Ed actually listened.
His superpower was humility.
He would just wait it out, and circle back.
After I left Pressman Films to pursue a writing career, Ed and I stayed in touch loosely.
Ed had to take a break when Covid was giving him a hard time.
I put the project on the back burner, until recently Ed told me he was ready to restart.
He had plans, had new movies coming out, and more he wanted to make.
He had his son Sam working with him.
Most importantly, he would have found ways to stay interested.
And that made all the difference.
He will be missed.
