Ruth L. Ratny
Called Chicago’s first lady of film, Ruth L. Ratny, the official Chicago Legend*, has been active and influential in the Chicago film industry her entire career.
Ruth has been the chronicler of the Chicago visual media industry for 30 years. She is the publisher/editor of ReelChicago.com, an online industry trade publication, and works with Jess Loren. With its updated, expanded new format, the Reel has the biggest reader database outside of The Hollywood Reporter. It is read in film markets between and on both Coasts, in prime European cities and even China.
In addition to chronicling the film industry, Ruth is a screenwriter of a music biopic about the life and times of Mahalia Jackson, the Oprah of her day and the world’s greatest gospel singer and timely action/romance about what a Mexican woman went through to illegally cross the border. She is also an executive producer on the inspiring story of a former Bulls basketball player.
Prior to ReelChicago, Ruth founded, published edited a major print film publication. When she founded it, at the nadir of Chicago production, the Original Screen Magazine forged a film community where none had existed before.
Screen Magazine was the center of the industry and was credited for attracting as much as 30% in new business to Chicago in the 1990s. Throughout this period, Screen went beyond a weekly publication and produced several national trade shows, a score of seminars and the first annual industry networking event.
Health issues compelled Ms. Ratny to relinquish her print publication in 2002, but she returned to chronicling the film industry ReelChicago. A ReelMichigan.com and similar local iterations of the Reel are forthcoming.
Since then, the Reel has acquired the biggest reader database east of The Hollywood Reporter. It’s read in between and on both Coasts, in prime European cities and even China.
Prior to founding Screen, Ruth had been an award-winning writer/producer of hundreds of non-theatrical films, including commercials, documentaries, corporate communications, branded entertainment, etc., for some of America’s largest corporations and advertisers.
In addition to Clio’s, Emmys, Tells and Cine Lions, Ruth’s honors include the aforementioned Chicago Legend, 2010, from the Chicago International Film Festival: Induction into Today’s Chicago Woman’s Hall of Fame; Chicago Advertising Woman of the Year and Midwest Advertising Woman of the Year Awards and Women in Film’s Recognition Award.
She was the honoree at a roast celebrating Screen’s 15th birthday, attended by a record-breaking 750 guests.
Ruth has received recognition awards from Lawyers for the Creative Arts and the Chicago Coalition, of which she was a founding member and which was responsible for elevating Chicago production from near obscurity to a major film market.
A third-generation Chicago native, Ms. Ratny studied marketing at DePaul University and continued her education at Loyola University. She is a popular speaker on issues pertaining to women and the Chicago visual media industry.
She is active in many local film organizations, and earlier taught courses at Columbia College. She also taught selling and marketing for creative services through Screen seminars.[1]
References
http://common.cinemachicago.org/resources/PressSite/3-24-10RuthRatnyHonoree.pdf http://vimeo.com/11514193