Biography
Ryan’s Books
Awards and Accomplishments
Top 10 finalist in Prairie Dog Short Script Festival for “Hotel Sangre” – 2014
Wrote for Vancouver sketch comedy TV pilot Unfiltered – 2015
NYC Midnight Writing Festival judge – 2016 to present
Nature of Cities contest winner for his short story “The Tree” (57 stories from 21 countries were chosen for publication out of 1200 submissions) – 2018
Winner of the Will Rogers Medallion for “Best Western Short Fiction” – 2019
Sketch comedy writing featured in the Vancouver stage production The Dinner Party – 2019
Winner – BCYCNA Ma Murray Award Best Arts and Culture Reporter – 2021
Ryan Uytdewilligen is a Canadian screenwriter, historian, author, editor, and journalist
Born in Lethbridge, Alberta and raised on the family farm outside the town of Coaldale, Uytdewilligen studied Communication Arts with a major in Broadcast Journalism at Lethbridge College – leading to work as a radio news anchor, television reporter, and copywriter.
He later studied Writing for Film and Television at Vancouver Film School where he wrote and produced the short films Tea Time and Even the Devil Swiped Right.
His first novel, Tractor, was published in 2016 by Sartoris Literary. Taking inspiration from Jack Kerouac and Larry McMurtry novels, the story follows a teenager in the early 1960s drive a tractor across the American south.
Uytdewilligen’s second novel, Akela, was published in 2019 by BHC Press – earning numerous accolades including a nomination for the Pushcart Prize. It followed the century-spanning life of an adventurous sea turtle that becomes entangled in historical events as he searches for his long lost love.
He is also the author of numerous non-fiction works including the film history book 101 Most Influential Coming of Age Movies and The History of Lethbridge, a look at the unique story of his hometown.
He currently has several feature film screenplays in development with Hollywood producers and has served as a script doctor and writer for hire.
His latest non-fiction work, Killing John Wayne: The Making of The Conqueror, tells the story of how the worst movie ever made, a 1956 epic starring John Wayne and produced by Howard Hughes, became a deadly disaster. It was published by Rowman and Littlefield.
Ryan’s third fiction novel, He’s No Angel, was released on July 26, 2022. It is an absurdist comedy book satirizing Hollywood and the afterlife.
His first children’s picture book will be published by KidsCan Press in 2023.
His writing has appeared in numerous publications including The Toronto Star, Whetstone Magazine, ScreenRant, Sessions X, Quirk Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, InFocus Film School, and Taste of Cinema while his weekly column, Ryan’s Regards, maintained a popular readership in the for two-and-a-half years.
Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge for film history, Uytdewilligen can eagerly name you every Academy Award winner in case you ever wanted to know.
Ryan is based in York, Ontario where he lives with his girlfriend, Mariana.
Ryan Uytdewilligen 