Biography
Rosilyn Heller / Producer
Rosilyn Heller was born n Brooklyn, NY and attended Manual Training High School before moving on to University of Wisconsin (BA) then University of CA. Berkley (MA). After a significant career in publishing, she began her motion picture career as a creative executive for Palomar/ABC Pictures in New York before moving to Los Angeles to join Peter Guber at Columbia Pictures as a production executive. At Columbia she became a true pioneer in the industry when she was appointed the first woman Vice-President of a major Hollywood studio. (1973)
She remained at Columbia Pictures for nine years, where she developed and supervised many award-winning films such as TAXI DRIVER, JULIA, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, THE EYES OF LAURA MARS, and THE CHINA SYNDROME, among others.
Ms. Heller then became an independent producer at Columbia where she executive-produced a perennial family favorite ICE CASTLES. She then went on to produce WHO'S THAT GIRL, starring Madonna for WB, AMERICAN HEART, starring Jeff Bridges for Avenue/World Pictures, THE BEANS OF EGYPT, MAINE, starring Kelly Lynch and Rutger Hauer for American Playhouse Films.
More recently, with her partner Roland Emmerich, Ms. Heller produced the movie TRADE for Centropolis Entertainment/Lionsgate, starring Kevin Kline and Alicja Bachleda, which premiered at the UN with Secy. General Ban-ki Moon introducing the film.
She most recently produced a movie in Europe, with Summerstorm Entertainment, called THE DEVIL'S VIOLINIST, about Nicolo Paganini, starring world-class violin virtuoso and crossover artist, David Garrett, directed by Bernard Rose (IMMORTAL BELOVED).
In addition to her feature credits, Ms. Heller also produced for TV the 6-hour NBC miniseries, CELEBRITY, by the late Tommy Thompson, and several television and cable movies, including CALLIE & SON, starring Lindsay Wagner and Michelle Pfeiffer, THE KILLING OF RANDY WEBSTER, starring Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter, Sean Penn and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and, most recently, with her partner, Gloria Steinem, the Lifetime movie, BETTER OFF DEAD, with Mare Winningham.
She is presently preparing a TV series called THE BLEEDING HARTZ - a dramedy - whose principal character, a woman lawyer, specializes in helping immigrants and refugees survive the treacherous waters of liberation, while struggling to keep her own family afloat.
