French film director Tavernier dies

French film director Bertrand Tavernier, who won international acclaim with his 1986 jazz film "Round Midnight", has died, the Institut Lumiere film museum said on its Twitter feed. He was 79.

"We are sad to announce the disappearance today of Bertrand Tavernier," said the institute, of which Tavernier was the president.

Pianist Herbie Hancock won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for "Round Midnight" and U.S. saxophonist Dexter Gordon won an Academy Award nomination for best actor.

A prolific director who made dozens of movies and documentaries, Tavernier won several French Cesar awards as well as accolades at the Cannes, Berlin, Venice and other film festivals.

"A Sunday in the Country" from 1984 won him best director at the Cannnes film festival and nomination for best foreign language film at the Golden Globes and BAFTA awards.