Julian Richards (born 31 July 1968) is a Welsh film director. He is associated with the

Cool Cymru Cool Cymru () was a Welsh cultural movement in music and independent film in the 1990s and 2000s, led by the popularity of bands such as Catatonia, Stereophonics and Manic Street Preachers. Etymology and usage The term Cool Cymru (Cymru is ...

era of culture and arts in Wales.

Biography

Early life

Julian Richards was born in Newport, South Wales, where his father owned DIY retail store Handiland. Inspired by his uncle Rex Richards Hollywood acting career, Julian decided to become a film director and produced several short films on super 8 mm including ''The Curse of Cormac'', ''Gang War'', ''Evil Inspirations'' and ''The Girl That Cried Wolf'' which was broadcast by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

in the "16 and Up Video Showcase".

Education

In Newport, Julian attended St Julian's Comprehensive School and Gwent College of Higher Education where he studied Art & Design Foundation. In 1985 he attended the film school at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art where he directed two Super 8 mm shorts "Time" and "Infanticide" and two 16 mm shorts ''

Pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

'' and ''

Queen Sacrifice In chess, a queen sacrifice is a move that sacrifices a queen, the most powerful piece, in return for some compensation, such as a tactical or positional advantage. Queen sacrifice: real versus sham In his book ''The Art of Sacrifice in Ches ...

''. ''

'' won The Starting Out Award at the Celtic Media Festival 1988 and ''

'' won the Thames Television Award for Best Fiction Film at the BP Expo–British Short Film Festival 1990 before being broadcast on ''Screenplay Firsts''. In 1988, Richards attended the

National Film and Television School The National Film and Television School (NFTS) is a film, television and games school established in 1971 and based at Beaconsfield Studios in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England. It is featured in the 2024 ranking by ''The Hollywood Repo ...

Beaconsfield Beaconsfield ( ) is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England, northwest of central London and southeast of Aylesbury. Three other towns are within : Gerrards Cross, Amersham and High Wycombe. The ...

, where he was invited to direct ''In with the Rent'' for

BBC Wales BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcasting, public broadcaster in Wales. It is one of the four BBC national regions, alongside the BBC English Regions, BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Scotland. Established in 1964, ...

and ''A Week in the Life'' a documentary about a cattle drover for

S4C S4C (, ''Sianel Pedwar Cymru'', meaning ''Channel Four Wales'') is a Welsh language free-to-air public broadcast television channel. Launched on 1 November 1982, it was the first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speakin ...

. In 1992, Richards graduated the NFTS with the 16 mm short ''

Bad Company Bad Company were an English rock supergroup formed in London in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke (both ex- Free), guitarist Mick Ralphs (ex- Mott the Hoople) and bassist Boz Burrell (ex-King Crimson). Kirke was the only m ...

'', broadcast on

ITV Wales ITV Cymru Wales is the ITV franchise for Wales. The new separate licence began on 1 January 2014, replacing the long-serving dual franchise region ITV Wales & West serving Wales and the West of England, which had previously used the branding "I ...

and selected to screen at

AFI Fest The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...

in Los Angeles.

Directing career

In 1992, Richards moved to Los Angeles where he worked for Shapiro Glickenhaus Entertainment directing an EPK for '' Slaughter of the Innocents'' starring

Scott Glenn Theodore Scott Glenn (born January 26 between 1938 and 1942) is an American actor. His roles have included Bill Lester in '' She Came to the Valley'' (1979), Pfc Glenn Kelly in ''Nashville'' (1975), Wes Hightower in '' Urban Cowboy'' (1980), as ...

and adapted Chris Westwood's novel '' Calling All Monsters'' for

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...

Amblin Entertainment Amblin' Entertainment, Inc., formerly named Amblin Productions, is an American film production company founded by director and producer Steven Spielberg, and film producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall in 1980. Its headquarters are lo ...

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

. In 1994 he returned to the UK to direct '' A Mutter of Voices'' for

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...

and twelve episodes of the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

soap ''

Brookside Brookside may refer to: Geography Canada * Brookside, Edmonton * Brookside, Newfoundland and Labrador * Brookside, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Brookside, Berkshire, England * Brookside, Telford, an area of Telford, England United States * Bro ...

'', including the body under the patio episodes. In 1996, he wrote and directed his debut feature film '' Darklands'', a brooding tale of underground paganism starring

Jon Finch John Nicholas Finch (2 March 1942 – 28 December 2012) was an English stage and film actor who became well known for his Shakespearean roles. Most notably, he starred in films for directors Roman Polanski (''Macbeth'', 1971) and Alfred Hitchc ...

Craig Fairbrass Craig John Fairbrass (born 15 January 1964) is an English actor, producer, and screenwriter. He has made appearances in ''For Queen and Country'' (1988), ''London's Burning (TV series), London's Burning'' (1990), ''Cliffhanger (film), Cliffhang ...

and Rowena King. A festival favourite winning several awards including the Melies D'Argent for Best European Fantasy Film 1997, Darklands was picked up for distribution by

Pathé Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...

. The film forms part of the cultural era in Wales identified as

. Richards followed up with '' Silent Cry'' starring Emily Woof,

Douglas Henshall Douglas James "Dougie" Henshall (born 19 November 1965) is a Scottish television, film and stage actor. He is best known for his roles as Professor Nick Cutter in the science fiction series ''Primeval (TV series), Primeval'' (2007–2011) and D ...

Frank Finlay Francis Finlay, (6 August 1926 – 30 January 2016) was an English actor. He earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Iago in ''Othello'' (1965). His first leading television role came in 1971 in '' Casanova''.

Kevin Whately Kevin Whately OBE (born 6 February 1951) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Neville "Nev" Hope in the comedy drama ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet''; Robert "Robbie" Lewis in the British crime drama ''Inspector Morse'' (1987–2000) ...

Clive Russell Clive Russell (born 7 December 1945) is a British actor. He is known for his roles as Chief Inspector Frederick Abberline in '' Ripper Street'', Angus O'Connor in ''Happiness'', Lord Lovat in '' Outlander'', and Brynden Tully in the HBO series ...

and

Craig Kelly Craig Kelly (born 29 September 1963) is an Australian conservative politician who represented the division of Hughes as a Liberal Party (and later United Australia Party) MP from 2010 until his defeat at the 2022 federal election. Kelly in ...

, an urban thriller which received its UK premiere on Channel 5. In 2003, Richards expanded into film production, establishing Prolific Films through which he produced and directed the micro-budget shocker ''

The Last Horror Movie ''The Last Horror Movie'' is a 2003 British found footage horror film directed by Julian Richards. On 24 August 2003 it premiered at the London FrightFest Film Festival and stars Kevin Howarth and Mark Stevenson. ''The Last Horror Movie'' w ...

'' which won sixteen awards including Best UK Feature at

Raindance Film Festival Raindance is an independent film festival and film school that operates in major cities including London, Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Budapest, Berlin, and Brussels. The festival was established in 1992 by Elliot Grove ...

and the Melies D'Argent for Best European Fantasy Film 2005. This video diary of a serial killer was theatrically released in the US by

Fangoria ''Fangoria'' is an internationally distributed American horror film fan magazine, in publication since 1979. It is published four times a year by Fangoria Publishing, LLC and is edited by Phil Nobile Jr. The magazine was originally released i ...

and in the UK by

Tartan Films Palisades Tartan is a film distribution company with headquarters in both the United Kingdom and the United States. It was established by the Palisades Media Group following the collapse of Tartan Films in the summer of 2008. Palisades Tartan ac ...

. In 2006 Richards produced and directed coming-of-age thriller Summer Scars which won two

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

Cymru awards and was nominated for Best Film. Summer Scars was released in North America by

TLA Releasing TLA Releasing is a US film distribution and production company owned by TLA Entertainment Group. In March 2011, a new LLC was formed for the operation. Its primary output is LGBT-related films from all over the world under the "TLA Releasing" la ...

and in the UK by Soda Pictures. In 2008, Richards directed '' Charles Dickens's England'' featuring Sir

Derek Jacobi Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen as well as for his work at the Royal National Theatre, he has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a BAFTA Award, two ...

, a documentary about the life of the 19th century author, which received a theatrical release in the UK by Guerilla Films before being broadcast by Sky Television. In 2011 Richards directed ''Shiver'', a psychological horror starring

Danielle Harris Danielle Harris (born June 1, 1977) is an American actress. She is known as a "scream queen" for her roles in multiple horror films, including four entries in the ''Halloween (franchise), Halloween'' franchise: ''Halloween 4: The Return of Micha ...

, John Jarratt,

Casper Van Dien Casper Robert Van Dien Jr. (born December 18, 1968) is an American actor, best known for his lead role as Johnny Rico in the science-fiction action film ''Starship Troopers'' (1997). Other credits include '' Sleepy Hollow'' (1999), '' Sanctimony ...

and

Rae Dawn Chong Rae Dawn Chong (born February 28, 1961) is a Canadian-American actress. She made her big screen debut appearing in the 1978 musical drama film ''Stony Island (film), Stony Island'', and in 1981 starred in the fantasy film ''Quest for Fire (film), ...

, which was released in North America by

Image Entertainment RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 34 ...

. In 2018 Richards directed Daddy's Girl, a psychological horror starring

Costas Mandylor Costas Mandylor (born Costas Theodosopoulos; 3 September 1965) is an Australian actor. He made his film debut with a supporting role in '' Triumph of the Spirit'' (1989) before a lead role as Frank Costello in the crime drama film '' Mobsters'' ...

and Jemma Dallender which was released in North America by Cleopatra Entertainment and Reborn, a paranormal horror starring Barbara Crampton, Michael Pare, Kayleigh Gilbert,

Chaz Bono Chaz Salvatore Bono (born Chastity Sun Bono; March 4, 1969) is an American writer, musician and actor. His parents are entertainers Sonny Bono and Cher, and he became widely known in appearances as a child on their television show, ''The Sonn ...

Monte Markham Monte Markham (born June 21, 1935) is an American actor. He has appeared in films, television series, and on Broadway. Early life Markham was born in Manatee County, Florida, one of four sons of Millie Content (née Willbur) and Jesse Edwar ...

and

Peter Bogdanovich Peter Bogdanovich (July 30, 1939 – January 6, 2022) was an American director, writer, actor, producer, critic, and film historian. He started out his career as a young actor studying under Stella Adler before working as a film critic for ''Fi ...

which was released in North America by

Vertical Entertainment Vertical (formerly Vertical Entertainment) is an American independent film distribution company founded by producers Rich Goldberg and Mitch Budin in 2012. Vertical releases films across all mediums, including theatrical, video on demand, physica ...

. In 2019, Richards wrote and directed Bad Santa, a five-minute episide in the Christmas themed horror anthology Deathcember''IMDB
'' which was released in North America by Scream Factory">IMDB">'' Deathcember'' (2019) – Director, Writer *'' Daddy's Girl'' (2018) – Director *''Reborn (2018 film)">Reborn'' (2018) – Director *''Shiver (2012 film)">Shiver'' (2012) – Director *'' Charles Dickens's England'' (2009) – Director *'' Summer Scars'' (2007) – Director, producer, co-Writer *''

'' (2003) – Director, producer, co-Writer *'' Silent Cry'' (2002) – Director *'' Darklands'' (1997) – Director, writer

Film sales and distribution career

In 2006 Richards founded world sales company Jinga Films which represents over 133 genre films.

Jinga filmography

*Everyone Is Going To Die (2024) *Protos (2024) *The Well (2023) *Iconic (2023) *Maya (2023) *Swap (2023) *Creepy Pasta (2023) *Transmission (2023) *The Witch Game (a.k.a. Juego Des Brujas) (2023) *Goliath (2022) *Dawn of the Great Steppe (2022) *The Ghost writer (2022) *They Wait in the Dark (2022) *The Ones You Didn't Burn (2022) *The Quantum Devil (2022) *The Ghosts of Monday (2022) *Shepherd (2021) *An Unquiet Grave (2021) *Girl Next (2021) *Night at the Eagle Inn (2021) *Red Snow (2021) *The Unburied (a.k.a. El Corpo Insepulto) (2021) *The Funeral Home (La Funeraria) (2020) *Angie Lost Girls (2020) *Exquisite Corpse (2020) *Beast Within (2019) *Ten Minutes To Midnight (2020) *Scavenger (2020) *Chop Chop (2020) *Reborn (2019) *Antrum (2019) *The Ringmaster (a.k.a. Finale) (2019) *Sadistic Intentions (2019) *I am Toxic (a.k.a. Soy Toxico) (2019) *Infection (a.k.a. Infeccion) (2019) *Snuff Tapes (2019) *The Quarry (a.k.a. En El Poso) (2019) *The Curse of Dracula (a.k.a. The Curse of Valburga) (2019) *Echoes of Fear (2019) *Lust (2018) *The Night Sitter (2018) *The Ice Cream Truck (2018) *The Damned (a.k.a. Bab Jahannan)(2018) *The Cleaning Lady (2018) *Framed (2018) *Central Park (2018) *All The Creatures Were Stirring (2018) *Nazi Undead (2018) *Desolation (2017) *Ruin Me (2017) *Ten: The Secret Mission (2017) *Still/Born (2017) *Replace (2017) *Sequence Break (2017) *Freddy Eddy (2017) *Crone Wood (2017) *Ecstasy (2017) *Replace (2017) *Our Evil (a.k.a. Mal Nosso) (2017) *Freddy Eddy (2016) *Incarnation (2016) *The Night Of The Virgin (2016) *Tonight She Comes (2016) *Love Is Thicker Than Water (2016) *Beyond The Gates (2016) *Lost Solace (2016) *Through The Shadow (2016) *The Rift (2016) *Atroz (a.k.a. Atrocious) (2015) *My Honor Was Loyalty (2015) *Worry Dolls (2015) *The Lesson (2015) *Night Of The Living Deb (2015) *Last Girl Standing (2015) *Scherzo Diabolico (2015) *Hellions" (2015) *Fear Clinic (2015) *Luna Del Miel (a.k.a. Honeymoon) (2015) *Francesca (2015) *Feed The Devil (2015) *La Cara Del Diablo (a.k.a. Face Of The Devil) (2015) *La Entitad (a.k.a. The Entity) (2015) *The Dead 2 (2014) *La Casa Del Fin De Los Tiempos (a.k.a. The House t The End Of Time) (2014) *The Nesting (a.k.a. Apparition) (2014) *The Canal (2014) *Blood Moon (2014) *Deadly Virtues (2014) *Drones (2013) *AB Negative (2013) *Goldberg And Eisenburg (2013) *On Tender Hooks (2013) * The House with 100 Eyes (2013) *Para Elisa (2013) *The Human Race (2013) *Hansel And Gretel Get Baked (2012) *After (2012) *Sawney: Flesh Of Man (a.k.a. Lord Of Darkness) (2012) *Tulpa (2012) *Closed Circuit Extreme (2012) *Rites Of Spring (2011) *The Dead (2011) *Midnight Son (2011) *Bad Meat (2011) *Ghetta Life (2011) *Face To Face (2011) *Cherry (2011) *Gandu (2011) *Rabies (a.k.a. Kalavet) (2010) *Bedways (2010) *The Bunny Game (2010) *A Serbian Film (2010) *Iron Doors (2010) *The Hunt (2010) *Timer (2009) *Shadow (2009) *Gnaw (2009) *Salvage (2009) *The Disappeared (2009) *Hush Your Mouth (2008) *Exodus (2008) *Summer Scars (2006) *Outlanders (2007) *Jetsam (2007) *Everything (2005) *Wild Country (2005) *Evilenko (2004) *The Last Horror Movie (2003) *Silent Cry (2002) *Darklands (1997) *Mute Witness (1995) *Rawhead Rex (1986) *Underworld (1986)

References

External links

*
Prolific FilmsJinga Films
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Julian 1968 births Living people Welsh film directors British horror film directors Cool Cymru People from Newport, Wales Alumni of Arts University Bournemouth Alumni of the National Film and Television School