Born in the final days of August 1933 in Munich, the son of Ernst Emanuel Erler, a school principal who had lost his job in the wake of the political unrest which started when Hitler gained power in Germany earlier that year. From his earliest school days, Rainer Erler was determined that one day he would make motion pictures. He gave lectures on film dramaturgy and the technique of film making, wrote plays, his first screenplay, critiques for film club magazines and directed plays for studio theatres.

After completing his secondary education, Rainer Erler learned the ropes in the motion picture studios of Munich, Berlin, Hamburg and Vienna, travelled through France, Spain, Morocco and West Africa, worked as assistant director to some of the most illustrious German directors of the time and studied film production with Eric Pommer, the legendary producer of Joseph von Sternberg’s”THE BLUE ANGEL” and”CALIGARI”, who had only recently returned to Europe from Hollywood.

Rainer Erler's first full‑length feature, after a series of sardonic short subjects, the fantasy‑comedy”TRANSMIGRATION OF A SOUL”, won the Ernst Lubitsch Prize, the Prix Italia and the Golden Nymph at the Monte Carlo Television Festival, and is still running in motion picture theatres all over Germany.

“MEDALS FOR THE BOYS”, a satire on the”Federal Medal of Merit” the highest order of the federal republic, was also awarded the Prix Italia and the Golden Nymph as well as the first prize at the Mifed in Milan.

His two films,”SPECIAL FURLOUGH” (about a fatal incident at the Berlin Wall) and”THE ASSASSIN” (about the attempt on Hitler's life on November 9th, 1939) both received the Adolf Grimme Prize (awarded to a television play by the adult education colleges).  

“THE DELEGATION”, a pseudo‑documentary about a television newscaster and the U.F.O. phenomenon, which Rainer Erler shot in Canada, the United States, Puerto Rico and Peru, received the Golden Camera film critics' award.

His next work, a series of five full‑length films, entitled”THE BLUE PALACE” was based on a report published by the Club of Rome in the early ‘70’s. The films take a critical look at what might happen if the revolutionary discoveries of modern science were to fall into the wrong hands. Rainer Erler coined the designation”Science Thriller” for this new genre of film. The five films were shot around the world: in Alaska, New York, New Mexico, in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo and Kyoto, in Scotland, Mexico, Venice and on the Belgian coast.

After more than a dozen years of activity as a screenwriter, producer and director, Rainer Erler severed his direct connection with BAVARIA FILMS in Munich in 1972 and established his own production company,”pentagramma film productions”. The trade mark is a fivepointed star, a pentagram, the ancient celtic symbol for eternity, averting the threat of evil spirits.

This independent company has thus far produced 12 films, among them”SEVEN DAYS”, a contribution to the discussion of modern theology (Adolf Grimme Prize),”OPERATION GANYMEDE” (awarded the Golden Asteroid for the best science fiction film), the political thriller”PLUTONIUN” (Silver Asteroid for the best science fiction film made for television), and the thriller”FLEISCH” (MEAT) (Golden Nymph, Monte Carlo), produced in the United States and currently running in motion picture theatres in more than 120 different countries.

“HERE COMES THE GURU” a satire on the promise of salvation proclaimed by quasi‑religious sects (subtitled:”INDIA BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN YOUR NEUROSIS”) also served as a festival entry, as did his latest satire on the ad game:”THE COMMERCIAL, or HALFWAY UP THE LADDER TO SUCCESS”.

In Australia, Rainer Erler produced a critical film about the threat of ecological disasters provoked by highly toxic”pesticides”:”THE BEAUTIFUL END OF THIS WORLD” (Oscar d’Italia 1985/Telefilm of the Month).

In the USA, France, England, Singapore and Australia, in an international co‑production, Rainer Erler shot a timely thriller on the perils of atomic energy”NEWS ‑ REPORT ON A JOURNEY TO A GLOWING FUTURE”. Following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the film was launched in cinemas in 28 different countries. The ACCADEMIA ITALIA awarded the film the Premio d' Italia 1986 – Targa d’Oro. It received the environmental award”The Golden Flame” and the Curd Lasswitz Prize in Germany. In addition, the film was nominated as the German entry in the Emmy competitions.

The satirical”SUGAR ‑ THE SWEET DISASTER COMEDY” has to do with genetic engineering: newly constructed microorganisms spread like a plague, turning every scrap of paper into sugar. The film was made in Australia in an international co‑production.

In the two‑part feature”THE KALTENBACH PAPERS”, produced by Berlin's UFA and its partners in morocco and Portugal with an international cast, Rainer Erler describes the incredible adventure of two women”Sharon” (Part I) and”Eva” (Part II), who play a deadly game in an attempt to foil the criminal activities of a German arms exporter named Kaltenbach.

Apart from his films, Rainer Erler also published several novels and saw some of them climb to the best seller lists.

The first book, published in 1973, was”THE DELEGATION” (since then in the catalogues of 4 different German publishers with editions also published in Finland, Sweden and Spain), after that the five volumes of”THE BLUE PALACE” (1980), the psycho‑thriller”FLEISCH” (‘MEAT’ 1981),”THE LAST VACATION” (1982) and”JOURNEY TO A GLOWING FUTURE”.

Rainer Erler's Indian novel”DELAY”, a life‑or‑death thriller about illegal arms exports will be filmed shortly under the title:”MID‑LIFE BLUES”.

Following”SUGAR”, the”report on a sweet catastrophe”, Edition Weitbrecht published the final work to date,”THE KALTENBACH PAPERS”.

The novelization of the”PLUTONIUM” screenplay was published by the Eichborn Verlag,”SEVEN DAYS' by”Laetare” the screenplay of”THE BEAUTIFUL END OF THIS WORLD” by”Mirapuri”.

A collection of”Thirteen Fantasy Love Stories”, which Rainer Erler ‑ unjustifiably ‑ calls”absolutely unfilmable” was published under the title”ORCHIDS OF THE NIGHT” by the Gustav Lübbe Verlag. A second short story collection is currently in the works.

Because serious times call for a heavy supply of humorous entertainment, and to confront our amiable prudes with their lustful dreams, Rainer Erler wrote two plays:”THE ORGY ‑ A HIGHLY MORAL COMEDY”, (about an encounter of the”sexth” kind ‑ thus far over three hundred sold out performances) and”WIFE NUMBER TWO ‑ A HIGHLY IMMORAL COMEDY” (sage counsel for the rare occasions of marital infidelity).

Rainer Erler served as founding member on the board of the”GERMAN FEDERAL ASSOCIATION OF TELEVISION AND MOTION PICTURE DIRECTORS” for many years, he is a deeply committed member of GREENPEACE and the AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION, the”GERMAN ENERGY SOCIETY” and the”SOLAR ENERGY SOCIETY”.

Rainer Erler is an honorary member of the”ACCADEMIA ITALIA”, which displayed some of his experimental photography and poster designs in an annual exhibition and awarded him the”STATUE OF VICTORY”. On recommendation of the academy's president, Rainer Erler was made an honorary member of the”European Academy of the Arts” for his accomplishments in the”interpretation of the future”.

At its annual convention in 1984,”SEACON”, the”EUROPEAN SCIENCE FICTION SOCIETY” presented Rainer Erler with the”Best European SF‑Screenwriter” award.

For five years Rainer Erler taught dramaturgy, producing and directing at Munich's FILM AND TELEVISION ACADEMY and was a member of the international jury at the OBERHAUSEN SHORT SUBJECT FESTIVAL and the MONTE CARLO TELEVISION FESTIVAL.

RAINER ERLER is married to the co‑producer of his films, RENATE ERLER, with whom he has co‑produced two children, Tatjana (married in Australia) and Tobias.

For the last fifteen years the Erlers are mainly living in Perth, Western Australia.

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