Julian Richards, a graduate of The National Film School, embarked on a successful career in filmmaking, writing and directing three critically acclaimed short films: Pirates (1987),Queen Sacrifice (1988),and Bad Company (1992). These early endeavors earned him recognition and led to employment at the BBC, where he directed the doc-drama A Mutter of Voices (1994),a powerful exploration of genocide in Rwanda. Additionally, he worked at Channel 4 Television, directing twelve episodes of the popular Liverpool soap Brookside (1982).
In 1994, Richards was approached by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment to adapt the novel "Calling All Monsters" to screenplay. Two years later, he returned to the UK to write and direct his debut feature film, Darklands (1996),a thought-provoking conspiracy horror that delves into paganism and human sacrifice. The film received the prestigious Melies D'Argent for Best European Fantasy Film in 1997.
Richards' subsequent features, Silent Cry (2002),a conspiracy thriller, and The Last Horror Movie (2003),a psychological horror film, garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards. Silent Cry won The Gold Remi at Worldfest Houston, while The Last Horror Movie won The Melies D'Argent for Best European Fantasy Film in 2005.
In 2007, Richards directed Summer Scars, a coming-of-age thriller that won two BAFTA Cymru Awards. He then explored the life of iconic British author Charles Dickens in the documentary Charles Dickens's England (2009),starring Sir Derek Jacobi. In 2011, Richards returned to the US to direct Shiver (2012),a psychological thriller starring Danielle Harris and John Jarratt, for Image Entertainment.
In 2017, Richards directed the psychological horror film Daddy's Girl (2018),starring Costas Mandylor and Jemma Dallender, which won the Best Director award at Fantasporto. The following year, he directed the paranormal horror film Reborn (2018),starring Barbara Crampton, Michael Pare, and Chaz Bono, which won 15 awards, including Best Sci-Fi Feature at Another Hole In The Head.
In 2019, Richards directed the Bad Santa segment in the Christmas horror anthology Deathcember (2019),further solidifying his reputation as a master of the horror genre.
