Documentary planned on Haddonfield's Debra Hill

March 7, 2015 marked the 10th anniversary of filmmaker Debra Hill's death.

To commemorate the anniversary and raise awareness of the Haddonfield native's career, production company DPYX is planning a documentary tentatively titled "The Debra Hill Documentary."

During her time in Hollywood, Hill worked as writer, director, producer and script supervisor on films including "Halloween" (1978), "Escape from New York" (1981), "The Dead Zone" (1983), "Adventures in Babysitting" (1987) and "The Fog" (2005).

The duo behind DPYX, Marcy Boyle and Rachel Holzman, say they hope to preserve an important piece of Hollywood history and help empower female filmmakers.

"Debra Hill is a hero of ours," Boyle said. "Not only did she break into the industry on her own, through intelligence, talent and tenacity, but she produced so many films that have become part of pop culture."

Holzman says she and Boyle want to celebrate Hill's achievements, including working on films that have generated over a billion dollars in box office receipts.

"We hope the next generation of filmmakers can be inspired to move forward on the path blazed by women like her and so the industry can be reminded that women have been instrumental in some of the greatest success stories in the film business," she said.

The upcoming documentary will be the first to explore Hill's legacy. Boyle and Holzman have already secured interviews with frequent Hill collaborator John Carpenter, along with Hill's producing partner Lynda Obst.

In a press release announcing plans for the film, Obst said: "I am overwhelmed with emotion about the documentary being made on the life and work of Debra Hill by DPYX and Executive Producer Lotti Pharriss Knowles.

"Debra was the consummate producer, and this film will show generations of women and men what the right stuff truly is, as I saw it and lived it first-hand."

Hill was born on Nov. 10, 1950, in Haddonfield. Upon graduating from Haddonfield Memorial High School in 1968, she became a script supervisor and production assistant on documentaries in the early 1970s before getting her first big break by co-writing the 1978 horror film "Halloween" with Carpenter.

Cancer claimed Hill's life in 2005 at the age of 54. In 2009, the Haddonfield Alumni Society honored her with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Donations to help fund the documentary can be sent to www.documentary.org/film/debra-hill-documentary.