It is certainly a rare thing in today’s society to find a man who loves his work and is driven so immensely by his passions. Such is the case with Ronnie Banerjee, an upcoming movie producer, who for the past year and a half accumulated a few exciting independent titles under his belt.
Speaking to him in Las Vegas, he said, “I’m a huge film buff and to be working with certain people that I grew up watching in the movies is totally out of this world.” He smilingly continued by quoting me a line from one of his favorite films from the mid-90’s, Michael Mann’s Heat, “you know for me, the action is the juice.”
Collaborations A Cinephile’s Dream
The list of people he has collaborated with is impressive, and would be any cinephile’s dream. Banerjee has worked on such features as Damian Chapa’s Night Bird and the controversial DSK Unauthorized and is currently producing the Rich Rossi film Saving Little Italy, which includes actors who appeared in such definitive cult classics as Casino, Donnie Brasco, Blood In, Blood Out and Scarface. He was also one of the producers on a short film entitled “In Transit” which qualified at the 2013 Academy Awards and became eligible for an Oscar nomination consideration.
“We didn’t make the shortlist of 11, but to have qualified is a feat we’re extremely proud of. Sunil Sadarangani and the rest of our team are presently working to create a feature based on the success of the short.” Ronnie’s passions started evolving since his childhood. He has been trotting around the globe and to date has traveled to over 56 countries.
“My parents showed me the world, from a very young age, and I have since been immersed in the wanderlust; I am eternally grateful to them. I plan to bestow the same opportunities and education to my son Vittorio during his lifetime, with hopes that he will explore and discover even more than his old man as the years progress. That is what travel ultimately is – the greatest form of education.”
Words Of Encouragement For The Ambitious
With a few cinema projects currently on the horizon, I asked Ronnie if he had any words of encouragement for other young ambitious people like himself. He gave the following advice to anyone out there who wishes to work within the realm of something they love, “Follow your dreams. That may sound cliche, but it’s the truth. And take lots of pictures to mark moments on your journey!”
“You know for me, the action is the juice”
I found this to be a very inspiring story and hope that it will encourage you and others to follow their dreams. You may follow highlights of Ronnie Banerjee’s burgeoning career at www.youtube.com/ronniecinema and find him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ronniecinema (@ronniecinema).
The award winning Short film, “In Transit,” was co-produced by Ronnie. It qualified for the 2013 Academy Awards and became eligible for an Oscar nomination consideration in the category of Best Live Action Short. It was directed by Stev Elam, and produced by Sunil Sadarangani, Saba Moor-Doucette, Ronnie Banerjee et al. It stars Sunil Sadarangani and Liliana Arriaga.
Judyth Piazza interviews Film Producer Ronnie Banerjee on The American Perspective
