Ronald Chammah

Biography

Ronald Chammah is a French film director and producer, recognized for his significant contributions to the film industry for over three decades.

In 1987, he made his directorial debut with the film Milan Noir. The following year, he founded the distribution and production company Les Films du Camélia, marking the beginning of his lasting impact on cinema.

In parallel, he distinguished himself as a distributor of heritage films, such as The Garden of the Finzi-Contini by Vittorio De Sica, and Divorce Italian Style by Pietro Germi. He also organized retrospectives for iconic filmmakers like Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, and Ida Lupino.

In 2010, he created Mandragora International, a company dedicated to international sales, distribution, DVD publishing, and co-production. He also served as a curator for significant exhibitions, including Isabelle Huppert: Woman of Many Faces at the MOMA in New York (2005), and Patti Smith exhibition “ Patti Smith, Land 250” at Fondation Cartier pour l’Art contemporain.

Between 2015 and 2017, he took over and managed two arthouse cinemas in Paris – Le Christine Cinema Club and Les Écoles Cinema Club. 

From 2021 to 2024, he launched a BLU-RAY/DVD publishing department and opened the Paris Cinema Club gallery, where he organized various exhibitions.

Company Profile

Founded by Ronald Chammah in 1988, Les Films du Camélia is a film production and distribution company focusing on Italian repertory films such as : Valerio Zurlini, Antonio Pietrangeli, Dino Risi, Luchino Visconti etc and American independent works. Notable projects include Wanda by Barbara Loden, Variety by Bette Gordon, and retrospectives of Ida Lupino and Michael Roemer.

In recent years, the company is dedicated to rediscovering the golden age of Mexican cinema and reissuing hidden gems like the British film The Appointment. Committed to preserving cinematic heritage, they meticulously restore rare films.

Les Films du Camélia also distributes new films by auteurs such as Andrei Ujica and Lucien Castaing-Taylor. Since 2022, they have published BLU-RAY/DVD collector's editions featuring bonus materials.

The Paris Cinema Club Gallery-Boutique, opened in June 2022, hosts cinema-related exhibitions and sells BLU-RAY/DVD editions, posters, and merchandise.