Bio:

Hilton Ariel Ruiz is a native of New York City’s Lower East Side whose passion for cinema began the moment he first saw Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull. That early spark grew into a lifelong dedication to filmmaking and visual storytelling. After taking his first high school cinema course, Ruiz’s curiosity became an obsession that led him to create award-winning short films at the New York Film Academy. Bringing his classroom knowledge to life on the streets and sets of New York City, he began developing the visual and emotional language that would later define his work.

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Driven by a deep fascination with the picture and rhythm of film, Ruiz studied photography at Queensborough College and the Fashion Institute of Technology, where his craft was honed and where he met his mentor, acclaimed photographer Jules Allen. As he continued to refine his skills in filmmaking at New York University, Ruiz blended academic discipline with real-world experience, shaping a distinctive cinematic style and establishing a career built on creativity, perseverance, and authenticity.

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A defining moment came with his dramatic film Therapy, a powerful story about loss and healing after 9/11. The film follows a man haunted by the memory of a loved one lost in the Twin Towers as he seeks connection through a support group of strangers bound by tragedy. Therapy marked a creative breakthrough for Ruiz, earning recognition for its emotional honesty and solidifying his voice as a filmmaker unafraid to explore the depths of human experience.

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As a narrative filmmaker, Hilton has written and directed a range of films including Therapy, Zombie with a Shotgun, As it was Yesterday, Beyond the Halls of Paradise, Survival, and The Amityville Lost Tape. His body of work demonstrates a dynamic range that blends drama, suspense, and horror with cinematic realism and emotional depth.

He is also the creator of Zombie with a Shotgun, a cult horror franchise that began as a viral web series and evolved into a feature film, comic book line, and multimedia brand. His documentary work, including The Forty Deuce, Sometimes in the Mirror, Gil: The Air, and Art of Erotica, explores art, photography, and human legacy through deeply personal, visually intimate storytelling.

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Dedicated to authentic filmmaking, Hilton continues to build projects that reflect his passion for storytelling and his commitment to powerful, emotionally driven cinema.