Ronnie S. Riskalla is a multi-talented individual with a passion for filmmaking, who has made a name for himself in the industry as an award-winning screenwriter and director. Despite having limited resources as a young child, he began producing films using a Betacam, laying the foundation for his future success.
Riskalla's journey in the film industry began in high school, where he studied film and drama, and regularly performed in talent shows, police youth clubs, and school theatre productions. He then attended a private film college, followed by the Australian Film, Television & Radio School, where he discovered his forte behind the camera.
With a strong work ethic and a desire to entertain audiences, Riskalla continued his film studies through UCLA extension, learning from professional crews working in Hollywood. He worked in the cinema industry for 20 years as a Projectionist & Technical Manager, managing and maintaining dozens of 35mm projectors, even as the industry transitioned to digital projection.
As a showman, Riskalla ran thousands of regular screenings of films to Australian audiences, and also coordinated special event screenings alongside filmmakers and distributors. He then worked for Deluxe Entertainment, a company established over 100 years ago in the golden age of Hollywood, project managing the QC and digital delivery for hundreds of Hollywood films for theatrical release in the Asia-Pacific region for all major film studios.
Riskalla's experience in the film industry also included managing thousands of hours of streaming and TV content for Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and hundreds of production companies. The transition from behind the film projector to behind the camera was a natural one, and he went on to produce and direct his experimental feature film, "The Day Hollywood Died," which had a limited theatrical run in Sydney and Melbourne and was officially selected at the ECU Film Festival, premiering in Paris, France.
In 2009, Riskalla established his own film production and distribution company, Rising Pictures, and in 2011, the company acquired the distribution rights for ANZ and Pacific Islands for the feature film "Mooz-Lum," starring Danny Glover and Nia Long. He has worked on seven other feature film scripts in various stages of development over the past decade, and in 2016, a screenplay he co-wrote, "Fire Mountain," was shortlisted for multiple awards.
In 2020, Riskalla established another production company, SkyCross Entertainment, with friends and co-founders Drew Pearson & Nenif David. His second feature film, "Streets of Colour," an urban drama that tackles racism and cultural identity, is set to be released in cinemas in 2023.
Riskalla is currently developing a teen-action thriller with Disney Asia-Pacific, as well as an Australian crime-thriller feature and a true-crime TV series for streaming. He is a member of AACTA - The Australian Academy of Cinema, Television & Arts Awards, ADG: The Australian Director's Guild, and the Australian Cinema Pioneers.
