The Creative Challenge That Brings St. Louis Filmmakers Together
July 22, 2025
How Tree9 Captured the Spirit of the Gateway Experience
September 25, 2025
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news – both of our founders, Chadwell and Ria Ruthsatz, are Mid-America EMMY®-nominated Directors!
You’ll always find Chadwell and Ria partnering behind the camera to bring our projects to life, and our collaborative approach often blurs the lines between roles. We’re about creativity and results – not titles – so this is a rare (and fun) chance to celebrate them strictly for their directing skills.
- Chadwell Ruthsatz received a nomination for “Green Girls,” the admissions film created for Nerinx Hall. Directing a cast of high school girls is no small task – but to top it off, he also designed and built a robot to join them on screen. We’re still not sure if the robot was method acting or just malfunctioning.
- Ria Ruthsatz was nominated for “(RE)IMAGINE,” created in collaboration with St. Louis Dance Theatre. The film is a celebration of artistry, movement, and vision – and a testament to Ria’s ability to bring bold ideas to life under pressure. Developed in just three days and filmed in one, it showcases her skill at taking a concept from script to screen in record time.
These nominations mark a milestone for Tree9 Films as we celebrate our tenth year of filmmaking. Having both of our founders recognized individually for their directing in the same year is a rare honor — and a testament to the incredible clients, collaborators, and crews we’ve had the privilege to partner with.
We’re cheering for both Chadwell and Ria, and celebrating all of the talented St. Louis video production professionals who were nominated. The strength of this region’s creative community continues to inspire us, and we’re proud to be part of it.
Congratulations to all the nominees!
