Rosa Colosimo

Rosa Colosimo (born 25 June 1949 in Tropea, Italy) is an Australian film producer.

Career

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Colosimo was born in Calabria, Italy, and moved to Melbourne, Australia with her family in 1951, where her parents ran a greengrocer's shop. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Melbourne University along with a Diploma of Education and began teaching Italian. She owned the only Italian book shop in the Southern hemisphere and became quite successful.[1]

Colosimo became involved in the film industry by distributing Italian films for Australia in the early 80s before turning producer.[2][3]

She was one of the most prolific film producers in Australia in the late 80s despite a lack of support from the funding bodies - all of her movies were made with private money. She was accused of using Mafia money on by someone on the board of Film Victoria, which Colosimo denied.[4][1] She pioneered co-production with Italy.[5]

Most of her movies concerned the Italian Australian community in Melbourne. Colosimo:

Producing is constantly stimulating. One of the most satisfying things about it is that while it is demanding, exhausting and tedious, it is ultimately achievable. I really do get excited by the potential of a story or a script. A project constantly shifts for me. I never get bored. It suits me to be in a work environment which is very intense and then to have space for myself in between.[1]

Select credits

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  • The Martini Family (1979) (short) - producer
  • Moving Out (1982) - production consultant
  • Waterfront (1983) (mini series) - production consultant
  • The Still Point (1986) - producer, writer
  • Options (1986) (documentary) - producer, writer
  • The Top Half (1986) (short) - writer, director
  • Sons of Bitches (1987) (docudrama)
  • Hungry Heart (1987) - producer
  • Blowing Hot and Cold (1988) - producer, co-writer
  • Damned Whores and Evil Bitches (1988) (documentary) - director, producer, writer
  • Postcards from Italy (1989) (documentary) - producer, writer
  • A Sting in the Tale (1989) - producer
  • Closer and Closer Apart (1989) - producer
  • Jigsaw (1989) - producer
  • A Kink in the Picasso (1990) - executive producer
  • Postcards from Italy (1990) (documentary) - producer, writer
  • On My Own (1991) - executive producer
  • Merchant of Dreams (1994) (documentary) - producer, writer
  • The India Connection (1995) (documentary) - producer, writer
  • Words Into Action (1995) (documentary) - producer, writer
  • OllieRom (1997) (CD-ROM) - consultant
  • Ninja Penguins (2000) (internet) - executive producer
  • Ineractive Flesh (2000) (internet) - executive producer
  • WOW/NOW (2000) (internet) - executive producer

Unmade projects

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  • Daniel in the Lions' Den Discovers Among the Aboriginies in Terra Australia Only Sons of Bitches Can Save the World - from a script by Colleen McCullough[2]
  • Red Rain (circa 1992) - a "psycho-sexual thriller", an Australian-Italian-Canadian-Japanese co-production to star Jennifer Beals and Russell Crowe from Colosimo's own script[6][7]
  • The Von Kessell Dossier (circa 1992)[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Judith Womersley, "Producing Films: Tough", The Age, 29 October 1989 p. 25
  2. ^ a b Stratton p. 89
  3. ^ Nick Roddick, "For deaf, read Italian", Cinema Papers, September 1985 pp. 13-14
  4. ^ Stratton p119
  5. ^ a b Bob Evans, "OUR PIECE OF THE ACTION", The Australian Financial Review, 18 October 1001 p. 33
  6. ^ Kevin Sadlier, "RONS STIRS THE CENSOR", Sun Herald, 27 December 1992p 85
  7. ^ Kevin Sadlier, "REEL FACTS", Sun Herald, 20 December 1992 p 93

Further reading

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  • Stratton, David, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Pan MacMillan, 1990 p89
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