Roger Steinmann

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Roger Steinmann (center) with Pascal Ulli on the set of PhonY , 2018

Roger Steinmann (born November 6, 1961 in Zurich ) is a Swiss film producer , film director , screenwriter and entrepreneur .

His best-known work is the Hollywood film Illusion Infinity (aka Paradise , 2004) with Dee Wallace , Mickey Rooney , Timothy Bottoms , Barbara Carrera , Martin Kove , and Theresa Saldana .

In 2018 Steinmann started to direct the comedy PhonY in Switzerland and Thailand . The following segment in Los Angeles had to be canceled due to the unexpected death of PhonY lead actor Burt Reynolds . The replacement of the role began. In December 2019, Golden Globe Award winner Elke Sommer agreed to take on one of the leading roles in PhonY .

Career

First films

In 1975 Steinmann directed his first feature film, The Door . He cast both leading roles in this crime farce with his school friends, future professors Peter Bürgisser (in mathematics and computer science) and André Bellmont (in music). The short film won the Swiss Youth Film Festival in 1976 and was broadcast on Swiss television on April 10, 1976 together with a review by Oscar-nominated director Markus Imhoof and an interview with Steinmann and Bürgisser.

A number of short feature films and documentaries followed, some of which received awards at the Swiss Youth Film Festival, e. B. The world is upside down (1976), The two from the club (1976), Flood disaster (1977), The machine animals (1977) and A day in the veterinary practice (1978).

The films The Machine Animals and A Day in the Veterinary Practice were each awarded a special prize by Swiss Animal Welfare.

The film flood catastrophe (1977) was described as a "horror film" in the Swiss press. Steinmann describes the existing danger of a dam bursting and the subsequent flooding of Zurich. In November 1978, this film was also broadcast on Swiss television together with a live interview with Steinmann.

Advancing film ambitions

As a teenager, Steinmann tried to launch his original scripts for feature films. In 1978/79 he developed the concept of cancer! about the life-threatening virus in a woman's organism, visualized by a simultaneous threat to the life of an entire city from a Godzilla-like monster crab - alluding to the double meaning of the title, the disease and the animal.

The project was huge in terms of budget, but also in terms of the special effects required at the time. So the project came to a standstill.

Theatrical activities

Steinmann remained active in various functions in the film industry, but also turned to the theater in 1982–1988 as an author, director and producer.

Hollywood

From 1991 Steinmann lived alternatively in Zurich and Los Angeles. There he wrote several scripts on spec, alone or in collaboration, e.g. B. Bum and the Kid ( Bum and the child ) with Robert Scott Steindorff, storylines, z. B. The Love of my Life ( The love of my life ) with Don Mankiewicz and the rewriting of scripts for. B. Project Metalbeast .

Steinmann's role models are: Billy Wilder , who comes closest to his ideal of elegant storytelling in combination with a narrow plot; William Wyler , whose brilliant direction produced the very best in acting; and John Huston for his fascinating oeuvre, but also for his adventurous private life.

Illusion Infinity (aka Paradise , 2004)

Roger Steinmann with Mickey Rooney on the set of Illusion Infinity , 2004

Together with casting director Gerald I. Wolff, Steinmann was able to engage six well-known Hollywood actors for Illusion Infinity : Dee Wallace , Mickey Rooney , Timothy Bottoms , Barbara Carrera , Martin Kove and Theresa Saldana .

Although Illusion Infinity was referred to as a biography, it was an original story by Steinmann about the supposedly real Las Vegas singer Patricia Paradise (played by Dee Wallace) and her lifelong search for a soul mate in the dreamy " Shangri-La ".

The PartyKillers and Ladies First projects

In 2014, the Thai film and pop star Mike Angelo became interested in Steinmann's script The PartyKillers . This screwball comedy by Steinmann, based on an original story by himself and Rodney Heeringa, Markus Imthurn and Sidonia Held (written 1995/98), tells the story of an inventor's attempt to sell his latest invention to a rich industrialist at his wedding party . After he spoils the groom's party (hence "party killer") he doesn't end with money, but the bride does.

Another concept suited Mike Angelo's talent even better: The story of a young male singer who only succeeds when he appears as a woman. The funny complications increase when he not only beguiles his girlfriend as a man, but also as a woman her father. With Angelo's approval, Steinmann developed the original script for Ladies First in 2015 .

PhonY (in production)

How does the ubiquitous digitalization influence interpersonal relationships? What would happen if all cell phones and computers were suddenly unusable? The PhonY project deals with this current topic in interactive segments in Los Angeles , Switzerland , Australia , Thailand and Canada . In 2018 filming began with Pascal Ulli and Gilles Tschudi in Switzerland and then in Thailand. The remaining segments with Burt Reynolds and Barbara Carrera were scheduled for October 2018 in Los Angeles. However, just a month earlier, Burt Reynolds passed away unexpectedly. The shooting of PhonY had to be postponed; completion is scheduled for the end of 2020.

Other activities and facts

  • 1981: Steinmann completes his commercial training at the Swiss Business School in Zurich.
  • 1983: Steinmann wins 10,000 DM in the well-known German TV quiz show Everything or Nothing , moderated by Max Schautzer .
  • 1983: Steinmann invents an automatic bottle cap, patent CH661024 : BOTTLE CAP . Applied on September 26, 1983 , published June 30, 1987 , inventor: Roger Steinmann. ‌
  • 1984: Steinmann founds Rotsch AG to market his invention. At the time he was 22 years old and became the youngest president of such a company in Switzerland.
  • 1986: Steinmann starts marketing greeting cards in Rotsch AG. After initial success with imported cards, he expanded his range with self-produced gift cards in the luxury segment.
  • 1995: Steinmann founds the film production company Sunset International AG, which also produces the current film PhonY.
  • Steinmann speaks German , French , English and Spanish and has basic knowledge of Portuguese , Italian and Thai .
  • Steinmann lives in Zurich and Phuket.

Filmography

Film (selection)

  • 1969: Zurich (short film; direction, script, production)
  • 1976: The Door (short film; direction, script, production, TV)
  • 1976: Die Zwei vom Klub (short film; direction, script, production)
  • 1976: The world is upside down (short film; direction, script, production)
  • 1977: The Machine Animals (short film; direction, script, production)
  • 1977: The flood disaster (short film; direction, script, production, TV)
  • 1978: A day in the veterinary practice (short film; direction, script, production)
  • 1990: Rotsch (advertising film; direction, script, production)
  • 1995: Project Metalbeast (feature film; co-author)
  • 2004: Illusion Infinity (alias Paradise) (feature film; direction, book, production)
  • since 2016: PhonY (feature film in production; director, author and producer)

Theater (selection)

  • 1982: Beschti Referenze (alias Buchhalter Noetzli) (direction, production)
  • 1985: Ready-to-go! (Book, production)
  • 1988: Schelmereie (Direction)

Unproduced scripts (selection)

  • 1978: cancer!
  • 1980: the nightmare
  • 1981: The 1234th TV show 'Was Am Ich?
  • 1982/83: The love of my life, together with Dr. Mario Gmür
  • 1984: The Voyeur, together with Markus Imthurn
  • 1991/92: Serendipity, with James Valentine
  • 1992/95: Bum and the Kid, together with Robert Scott Steindorff; Story by Steindorff
  • 1993: Love of my life, Outline with Don Mankiewicz ; Story by Steinmann / Gmür
  • 1994/95: Adolphia, together with James Valentine
  • 1995/2014: The PartyKillers, screenplay with Rodney Heeringa, based on a story with / by Heeringa, Markus Imthurn and Sidonia Held
  • 1996: Castle in the Sky, together with Scott Strohmeier; Story from Steinmann
  • 1997/1999: 12 trillion
  • 2005/2007: Life Insurance
  • 2010/2012: Gold Digger Mafia
  • 2015: Ladies First

Web links

Commons : Roger Steinmann  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Roger Steinmann: Biographical Data. In: Official Website. Roger Steinmann, January 13, 2020, accessed on March 4, 2020 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e Roger Steinmann: Filmography. In: Official Website. Roger Steinmann, January 13, 2020, accessed on March 21, 2020 .
  3. ↑ a b dailymotion (Société anonyme): Illusion Infinity full movie with complete credits. In: dailymotion.com. 2008, accessed January 10, 2020 .
  4. ↑ a b Illusion Infinity aka Paradise. In: IMDb. Retrieved March 21, 2020 .
  5. ↑ a b Alvin H. Marill: Mickey Rooney: His Films, Television Appearances, Radio Work, stage shows, and recordings . Ed .: McFarland & Company, Inc. Jefferson, NC 2005, ISBN 0-7864-2015-4 , pp. 161 (English, google.com ).
  6. ↑ a b Cinestranger: THERESA SALDANA - ACTERIEUR DI CINEMA. In: Cinestranger.com. June 8, 2016, accessed January 2, 2020 (French).
  7. ^ A b Roger Steinmann: PhonY. Film: TEASER # 1, Introduction. In: YouTube.com. September 30, 2019, accessed January 7, 2020 .
  8. ↑ a b PhonY - Official Website. SUNSET International AG, 2020, accessed on March 22, 2020 (English).
  9. ↑ phony. In: IMDb. Retrieved March 24, 2020 .
  10. ↑ a b Flavia Schlittler: Swiss people mourn Burt Reynolds († 82). In: Blick (Ringier). September 14, 2018, accessed January 2, 2020 .
  11. ↑ SUNSET International AG: IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA. In: PhonY. December 3, 2019, accessed March 4, 2020 .
  12. ^ Elke Sommer: Letter of Interrest. (No longer available online.) In: Roger-Steinmann-com - Film-Documents. December 3, 2019, archived from the original on January 10, 2020 .;
  13. ↑ IMDb: The Door (1976). Retrieved March 4, 2020 .
  14. ^ Anne Weibel: "Eldorado" represents Switzerland in the competition for an Oscar. In: Swiss Confederation. Federal Office of Culture, March 25, 2019, accessed on March 23, 2020 .
  15. ↑ a b Swiss Youth Film Days and Federation of Swiss Amateur Film Clubs: Awards in film and else. In: Roger Steinmann - Awards. Roger Steinmann, January 13, 2020, accessed on March 21, 2020 .
  16. ↑ Various, u. a. Christian Heeb and Candid Lang: Conversation and Roger (15) puts Zurich under water. In: Roger Steinmann - Newspaper Clips. Roger Steinmann, January 13, 2020, accessed on March 21, 2020 .
  17. ^ Tibor de Viragh: Film project: Cancer threatens Zurich. In: Roger Steinmann - Newspaperclips. Roger Steinmann, January 13, 2020, accessed on March 21, 2020 .
  18. ↑ Various: Theater company works with a young director, rebellion in the auditorium, attention-ready-go! and Beschti Referenze. In: Roger Steinmann - Newspaper Clips. Roger Steinmann, January 13, 2020, accessed on March 21, 2020 .
  19. ↑ Project Metal Beast. In: Worldcat.org. OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., 1994, accessed March 24, 2020 .
  20. ↑ Project: Metal Beast (1995). In: IMDb. Retrieved March 22, 2020 (English).
  21. ↑ Project: Metal Beast Trailer & Info. In: Quicklookfilms.com. Retrieved March 22, 2020 (English).
  22. ↑ Gerald I. Wolff. In: IMDb. Retrieved March 22, 2020 (English).
  23. ↑ Ladies First. In: WorldCat.org. OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., 2015, accessed March 24, 2020 .
  24. ↑ Various, u. a. Benita Cantieni: Zürcher won 10,000 marks in a TV quiz and luck with Marylin. In: Roger Steinmann - Newspaper Clips. Roger Steinmann, January 13, 2020, accessed on March 22, 2020 .
  25. ↑ Rotsch AG. In: Commercial Register. Commercial Register Office of the Canton of Zurich, March 28, 1984, accessed on March 22, 2020 (print page to see the Chairman and the members of the Board of Directors).
  26. ↑ SUNSET INTERNATIONAL AG. In: Commercial Register. Commercial Register Office of the Canton of Zurich, July 18, 2014, accessed on March 23, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Steinmann, Roger
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss film director
DATE OF BIRTH November 6, 1961
PLACE OF BIRTH Zurich