Ruth Cullen

Ruth is known for her fearless and empathetic character portrayals and her willingness to seek out the untested. Her films have screened around the world including the prestigious IDFA (Amsterdam), as well as Montreal, Los Angeles, Cork, Wellington, Sydney & Melbourne, film Festivals.

Recent work includes the ground-breaking ABC series: Don't Stop The Music (Post Director) and The Dreamhouse (Series Director & Writer).

Ruth won the 2010 AFI/AACTA Award for Best Documentary for her ABC work You Only Live Twice – the incredibly true story of the Hughes family (producer). Her TV series About Men (Series Dir.& writer) received rave reviews while Heat In the Kitchen (Series Dir. & cinematographer) launched the television careers of celebrity chef Luke Nguyen & gourmet farmer Matthew Evans.

Her SBS documentary Becoming Julia – fast cars and a sex change followed a macho Aussie farmer through his sex change. It premiered to a standing ovation at the Sydney Film Festival and played in film festivals around the world

The Tightrope Dancer and Painted Lady, looked at the artist and adventurer Vali Myers and were released to widespread acclaim including a national theatrical release. Ruth met Vali in New York where she lived for 10 years - 4 of them at the Chelsea Hotel.

Ruth has worked as: Industry Consultant to Screen Australia, Executive Producer (Arts & Entertainment) for the ABC and as Head of Documentary at the Australian film, Television and Radio School.

"Writer/director Ruth Cullen is one of the county's best documentary makers" - Kathryn Kernohan, The Age, August 2014

Filmography

SCRIBE, THE » Director’s Cut (including approx. 16 minutes not seen on TV) FINALIST! 2019 ATOM AWARDS - Best Documentary: Social & Political Issues From deep within the engine room of politics comes this superb documentary on the “Donald Bradman” of speech-writers - Graham Freudenberg: a powerful journey into one of the great minds of politics whose words shaped our fortunes whether we know it or not...