Ruth Paxton

Ruth is a Scottish filmmaker whose award-winning shorts have been exhibited at numerous international events and prominent film festivals. She won Best Woman Director at the 12th London Short Film Festival for her film Pulse and was also nominated as one of Canongate’s 40 Scottish Storytellers of The Future.

In 2019, Screen Daily featured her as one of ‘Six emerging Scotland-based Directors you need to know.’ The Scotsman selected her as ‘One to Watch in 2022’. In 2023, Ruth delivered her first feature film: a psychological horror entitled A Banquet. It was selected for the GREAT8 showcase at Cannes Marche and had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival 2021, ahead of a UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival. On the weekend of its launch in the US, the film was selected as a New York Times Critics’ Pick. When it was released a month later in the UK, it received four stars from both The Times and The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw.

Ruth graduated in 2007 with an MA in Film and TV from Screen Academy Scotland, having gained her honours degree at Edinburgh College of Art. She has since directed a number of films, in addition to six episodes of the BBC’s River City. Ruth is now a professional mentor with Raindance’s International MA programme, Glasgow Film Festival and Screen Scotland’s Short Circuit, as well as an Associate Lecturer at Cambridge University, Screen Academy Scotland and MetFilm School Brighton. She makes commercial content with Mallinson Television Productions and is represented by Roxana Adle of Lark Management.