Ruth L. Ratny

Who is 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.