Sydney, June 19 (IANS): Australian filmmaker Paul Cox, who was lauded as father of independent cinema in Australia, has died aged 76.

The Dutch-born director is known for his films like “Man of Flowers”, “A Woman's Tale” and “Innocence”. The Australian Directors Guild announced his death on Twitter on Sunday, reports smh.com.au.

The post read: "Sad news. The great Australian filmmaker Paul Cox had passed away. Vale. Paul Cox, Australian film-maker and frequent collaborator with David Wenham, dies age 76."

Cox, born on April 16, 1940, rose to acclaim in the 1980s with films such as “Lonely Hearts” and “My First Wife”.

The tweet did not disclose the cause of death and other details about Cox's demise.

American film critic Roger Ebert described him as "one of the best directors of our time" and "one of the heroes of modern cinema".

His last film in 2015 was “Force of Destiny”, starring David Wenham, is loosely based on the director himself. The intimately personal drama is inspired by Cox's own experiences living with terminal cancer.

Cox was saved by a liver transplant in 2009.

Cox, the director of more than 20 films, had said he had a new perspective on life after his near-death experience. He arrived in Australia from Holland in his early 20s, turning from photography and painting to filmmaking.