Biography
Born on November 6, 1961 in Zurich, Switzerland. Educated between 1969 to 1978 at High School in Zurich, 1978 to 1981 at Swiss Business School in Zurich. Speaks German, French, English, Spanish and has some knowledge of Italian, Portugese and Thai.
In 1967, too his first photographs with Dad's old 35mm 'Voigtlaender' still camera. 1969: Shot first Super8-Film 'Zurich'. 1971: Learnt to develop black and white photos in own dark room at home. 1976, July: Prize winner with still picture of the month, a snap shot of a burnt down farm with the farmer saving a pig. The biggest Swiss newspaper 'Blick' awarded a Canon still camera. 1981: Assistant director of future Oscar winner (1991 for 'Journey of Hope'), director Xavier Koller, in Swiss TV-show 'Telearena'. 1982: Invention of a 'bottle stopper' which mechanically allows to keep the bottle content fresh, for instance sodas with gas. Received its patent for Europe , Canada and Australia in 1984. 1983, August 2: Winner of DM 10,000.00 in the German TV-quiz show 'Alles Oder Nichts' about the topic of the life of Marilyn Monroe. Being the only Swiss versus 73 German candidates in front of a record breaking 15 million live TV-audience. 1984, March: Founder of Rotsch AG, Zurich, for import and distribution of Greeting cards, gift items, stationary, pharmaceutical articles and household ware. Acted as its President and CEO from 1984 until 1996, when he sold the company due to his progress in film in Hollywood. From then on, President and CEO of Sunsetcards International AG, Zurich.
1992: Moved to Los Angeles to develop his film projects 'at the place to be': Hollywood. Lived alternately in L.A. and Zurich until 2003. 1993, April: First of several meeting with his lifelong idol, six time Academy Award-winner Billy Wilder. Mr. Wilder subsequently advised him on screenplay structure of his projects. 2000, October: Directs the movie _Paradise (2000/I)_ (aka ILLUSION INFINITY) in Hollywood and Las Vegas. 2001, January: Due to Ray Walston's sudden death, the shooting is interrupted for an undisclosed time. 2002, spring: "ILLUSION INFINITY" aka "PARADISE", written by himself after his original story, directed and executive produced the 2004 US/Swiss film featuring Hollywood stars Dee Wallace Stone ("E.T."), Mickey Rooney (two time Academy Award winner), Timothy Bottoms (Golden Globe nominee), and Barbara Carrera (Bond-Girl in "Never Say Never Again").
Nobody else than six times Academy Award winner and 25 times nominee, writer/director Billy Wilder ("Some Like It Hot"), encouraged him back in 1993 to revitalize screwball-comedies, prominently resulting in the current projects, the 2018 film "PhonY", the 2016 original screenplay "LADIES FIRST", and "THE PARTYKILLERS" (2014 rewrite). The later two are in development as international co-productions.
During Roger's 'film-hiatus', he has dealt with the philosophical analysis of social global life in his new developed theory ('FORM VERSUS CONTENT IN EVERYDAY LIFE').
Since relocating from Hollywood in 2003, Roger Steinmann lives alternately in Zurich and Phuket.
