Rudolf Buitendach


Rudolf Buitendach is a South African born film director and editor.

Works

His short Indoor Fireworks produced by Sleevemonkey Films was the world's first fully uncompressed film shot on the legendary Viper filmstream camera and lauded by the likes of director Darren Aronofsky and composer Angelo Badalamenti It was picked up by Canal Plus for European distribution.
His short Rearview was nominated by BBC Three as best short of 2006 in their new talent strand and also screened at the LA International shortsfest and Brief Encounters. It was shortlisted by the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival for a Golden Melies nomination and also screened in Cannes and Venice. In 2007 Rudolf was a finalist in the filmaka.com international filmmaking competition.
Rudolf also works as a film trailer editor and creative director. One of his trailers The Brotherhood of the Wolf was nominated for a Golden Trailer Award in 2002. In 2007 Rudolf was nominated for two Golden Trailer Awards for best International drama trailer for 'Snowcake' and for best Comedy Trailer for Waiter. In 2008 Rudolf worked on the Control trailer that was nominated for a Key Art award.
Rudolf has worked in tandem with the likes of Werner Herzog, Mike Leigh, Mike Hodges, Peter Greenaway, Alexi Tan, Richard Linklater, and Pedro Almodóvar on their trailers and has cut trailers for all the major studios and distributors.
In 2009 Rudolf directed a documentary of Arsenal's 2008–2009 season.
In 2011 Rudolf directed his debut feature film Dark Hearts starring Lucas Till, Kyle Schmid, Sonja Kinski, Juliet Landau, Rachel Blanchard and Goran Visnjic. "Dark Hearts" was nominated as Best International Feature at the 2012 Raindance Film Festival in London.
In 2013 Rudolf directed his sophomore feature Where the Road Runs Out, making history as this was the first feature film ever to be made in Equatorial Guinea West Africa. The film starred the Cesar winning actor Isaach De Bankole, James Bond villain in Casino Royale, Genie nominee Juliet Landau and SAG nominee Stelio Savante. The film had its World Premiere at the San Diego International Film Festival sponsored by Variety and renowned film critic Jeffrey Lyons, a world class event with attendees from 55 countries shortlisted from 1500 submissions. The three times Academy winning film ’12 Years a Slave’ opened the 2013 festival. Rudolf’s film won the 2014 GRAND JURY AWARD FOR BEST FILM against Academy winning ‘The Imitation Game’ starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightly, Academy nominee ‘Wild’ starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern and ’Golden Globe nominated St. Vincent’ starring Bill Murray. Rudolf received his reward from Academy nominee Tom Berenger. Rudolf’s film also won the UT-Award for Best Film - the United Tribune is San Diego’s biggest newspaper with a circulation of 250 678 daily and 409 796 on Sundays. Recently the film won the Black Reel award for Outstanding World Cinema amongst fellow winners ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Fences’.
In 2015 Rudolf won the BEST DIRECTOR AWARD at the Academy Accredited SUNSCREEN Film Festival in Florida sponsored by the Academy Of Motion Pictures and Sciences. Special guest at the festival was 2 time Oscar nominated John Travolta. Rudolf’s award was presented by 4 time Grammy winner Stanley Clarke. Rudolf’s film also won the ‘Best Actor’ award for Isaach De Bankole.
In 2015 Rudolf edited and produced the environmental film MEDICINE OF THE WOLF, the aim of the film is to try and save this iconic species from extinction.
The film features world renowned Jane Goodall, DBE, UN Peace Messenger, winner of the Kyoto Prize and Hubbard Medal and Jim Brandenburg, world famous National Geographic photographer and voted one of the 40 greatest nature photographers of all time. The film won the Grand Jury Prize for best film at the Arizona International Film Festival and Audience Award at the St Paul Minneapolis International Film Festival.
In 2016 Rudolf finished his third feature as director SELLING ISOBEL based on true events with Frida Farrell playing herself as sex trafficking victim, the film also stars Lew Temple and Alyson Stoner. The film won Best Indie Feature at the 2016 Raindance film festival in London.
Rudolf is in post production on his 4th feature film in Cambodia entitled HEX, his first as writer-director, the film is repped by Brillstein Entertainment and stars British actress Jenny Boyd as well as Ross McCall.