Italian film director Michelangelo Antonioni, renowned for his 1966 release Blow-Up, has died aged 94, BBC reported.

He gained two Oscar nominations for the iconic release, and was awarded an honorary Academy Award for his life's work in 1995.

His Italian language films, including La Notte, also won recognition during his career, which began in the 1940s.

The director died peacefully at home on Tuesday night, according to his wife, actress Enrica Fico.

Antonioni was born in 1912 in Ferrara, a small town in the north-east of Italy.

He studied economics at the University of Bologna, but came to attention as a film critic when he savagely criticised the Italian comedies of the 1930s.

In the 1940s, he enrolled at Centro Sperimentale, Italy's national film school, and soon began working as a scriptwriter, collaborating with directors such as Roberto Rossellini and Enrico Fulchignoni.

His debut feature film, Story of A Love Affair, was released in 1950.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!