Kelly Reichardt

Kelly Reichardt, born March 3, 1964, is an esteemed American film director and screenwriter identified with the minimalist cinema and the portrayal of characters in small, rural communities. Her filmography includes a multitude of award-winning works such as 'River of Grass' (1994), 'Old Joy' (2006), 'Wendy and Lucy' (2008), 'Meek's Cutoff' (2010), 'Night Moves' (2013), and 'Certain Women' (2016). Most of her films discuss the life and struggles of working-class characters which speak to her themes and style as a director. Reichardt, a versatile artist, does not only direct but also edits her own films. She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In addition to her filmmaking, Reichardt has been the S. William Senfeld Artist in Residence at Bard College since 2006. Her artistic merit extends to accolades such as the 2009 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship and the 2011 United States Artists (USA) Fellowship. Despite the extensive success, Reichardt's films are not commercial box office successes, with the highest-grossing being 'Certain Women'. It's noteworthy that her style has often been called minimalist and realist, and her films' realist tendencies align them with the slow cinema movement. Reichardt thrives on portraying characters on society's edges with focus and care that commercial cinema typically overlooks, thus recasting portions of American life and experiences in a distinctive light.