Bill Rebane

BaronBill Rebane (born February 8, 1937) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for low budget horror movies such as Twist Craze and The Giant Spider Invasion. Rebane also ran for the governor of Wisconsin in 1979 and 2002 as the American Reform Party candidate.

Biography

Rebane came to the United States from Estonia in 1952 at age 15. His mother was Latvian and his father, Arnold Rebane, was Estonian.

He attended school in post-war Germany as a child, becoming conversant in four languages: Estonian, Latvian, German and Russian. By watching American cinema, he was able to master English. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago/Goodman Theatre, majoring in drama.

Accomplishments

Rebane is credited with the introduction of the first 360 degree (wrap around) motion picture process to the Motion Picture Industry of the world, an innovation that spurred the Cinemax process and today's Rotascope cameras; as the creator of the Wisconsin Film Office; as the producer, director, writer, and cinematographer on 12 independent feature films, all of which have enjoyed successful international theatrical release; as producer/director of one of the fifty top-grossing films of 1975 (The Giant Spider Invasion, $23 million gross); as having produced, directed, edited, and production designed at least one hundred commercial, industrial, corporate image, documentary or promotion films; and for the creation and successful operation of the first full-time feature film studio in the Midwest for over 30 years.