Bill Troskie
Bill Troskie (1934-2019) was a South African businessman and film producer.
Biography
Besides his involvement in the film industry, he was also a successful businessman. Beginnning with Bill Troskie Motors in Bloemfontein, Bill and his wife, Yvonne, founded several firms and owned several farms.
Rugby was his passion and he was a member of the executive of the Free State Rugby Union for a number of years and the Chairman of the Old Greys Rugby Club.
He died an extended illness on 4 April and was buried on 12 April from the Dutch Reformed Church Bloemfontein North, also known as the Klipkerk.
In 1964 Bill and his younger brother Boet Troskie, created the successful film production and distribution company Mimosa Films in Bloemfontein and teamed up with the legendary film director Jamie Uys to produce various South African films. The company also developed valuable business links with similar companies in Hollywood.
Their first film was Three Wise Men, and their subsequent successes included Lost in the Desert (Dirkie), Animals are Beautiful People (which won a Golden Globe), Funny People, Funny People II, The Gods Must be Crazy (1980) and The Gods Must be Crazy II. The films all enjoyed success at the South African and international box office. The Gods Must be Crazy in particular was an amazing success and still holds the record as the most commercially successful release in the history of South Africa's film industry for a South African produced film.
As a producer, Bill's first film was Staal Burger (1969) and he would go on to produce Die Rebel (1976), Sonja (1978), Night of the Puppets (1979) and Beloftes van Môre (1981).
In 1980, with the distribution of The Gods Must be Crazy, Bill took over operations as acting CEO of Mimosa Films for a few years when his brother Boet Troskie moved to America to oversee the film's contract deals.
https://www.channel24.co.za/Movies/News/veteran-film-producer-bill-troskie-84-dies-20190406
