IFP- Ali Moallem, an influential and educated film producer, critic, publisher and managing director and editor-in-chief of Donya-ye Tasvir (Picture World) magazine, passed away on Monday at the age of 54.

Moallem died of cardiac arrest in his office in Tehran, according to a report by ILNA

A graduate of cinema, Moallem, 54, started Donya-ye Tasvir magazine 25 years ago which soon became popular among film fans.

Besides his journalistic activities, he produced several films including �Hemlock� (2000), �The River�s End� (2004), �Marriage, Iranian Style� (2006) and �Aal� (2010). He also served as jury member in several local and international film festivals, Financial Tribune reported.

Moallem was the organiser of �Hafez Awards�, Iran�s only private ceremony to award the best of TV and cinema, and held it for dozens of editions in an annual basis.

For years he strived to produce a film on Cyrus the Great (580-529 BC), king of Persia and the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. The script was written by Iranian screenwriter and filmmaker Masoud Jafari-Jozani who was set to direct the movie as well. However, their efforts did not bear fruit and a book on the film script was published last year.