Director Stefan Ruzowitzky breaks all the rules

[Rachel Galvin]

(On left): Stefan Ruzowitzky and I.S. founder Rachel Galvin

Casual, approachable and with a sense of humor, Stefan Ruzowitzky charmed those who attended the opening night gala, the Chairman's Cruise and the screening of his film "Deadfall." Everywhere he went, he was the center of attention and it had more to do with his personality than anything else. But his talent in cinema also played a role. He sat down to speak with me on the Chairman's Cruise.

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Director Stefan Ruzowitzky breaks all the rules

By Rachel Galvin

At Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival with his film "Deadfall," Academy award-winning director Stefan Ruzowitzky likes to talk about breaking the rules when it comes to filmmaking.

"After Counterfeiters, I did a children's movie about colors and fun... I like the idea of doing different genres. You have to deal with the rules of the genre and then see the extent to which you can bend or break them," said Ruzowitzky, who likes to work on as many genres as possible and emphasizes the importance of storytelling.

"If you don't tell a story, the audience will see it. If it's just special effects and images... [You can have] a fantastic trailer, but you have got to entertain people for two hours," he explained.

He advises directors to do their own material.

"The best way to get a job is write your own script," he said, emphasizing the do-it-yourself approach.

Within his films, he later realized is a common thread: themes of idealism, failed idealism, a young protagonist entering into a new world, learning to cope and fighting established forces.

"Working on a film set day and night is hard work. It's not glamorous. My wife is in talent agency for some time so she can deal with that. I know if she likes it [the film], it is going to work at the box office."

After his Academy Award for "Counterfeiters," he said that people viewed him differently more in the states than in Europe, where the Oscars don't mean as much.

"It was the first Oscar going to an Austrian. That feels good. It doesn't keep you from making bad choices in the future. But you don't have to prove yourself to the world," he said, adding that the cast of "Deadfall" came on board, however, due to his proven success with "Counterfeiters."

"They saw the movie," he added, "and they thought it was great. [They trusted me.] At least they knew once [I got] it right."