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Ron Nyswaner
Ron Nyswaner was a writer, director, and producer whose most renowned accomplishment was penning the Oscar-winning film "Philadelphia" (1993). A successful role model for ambitious gay men everywhere, Nyswaner's sexual orientation only enhanced his career, as he enjoyed decades of success writing for film, TV, stage, and even book shelves, following the release of his 2004 memoir of near self-destruction, Blue Days, Black Nights. An activist and in-demand speaker for gay rights and AIDS causes, he also devoted considerable time to the independent film community, working with the Sundance and Woodstock Film Festivals.