Trudie Styler Talks Journey To Directing ‘Up Against It’ & ‘The Reception’ Back-To-Back: “I’m In A Happy Place”

Trudie Styler has directed two feature films back to back, continuing a career that began in producing and reflects her and partner Celine Rattray’s support for female-driven storytelling. The films mark a new chapter for Styler, who says she is in a happy place creatively.

Up Against It is a London-set romantic comedy starring Antonio Banderas and Eva Birthistle as divorced parents reconnecting after their daughter’s cancer returns; it premiered in Toronto. The Reception, featuring Jeff Daniels, Guy Pearce and Sabrina Impacciatore, began filming in Scotland in late October. Styler’s producing career started in the early 1990s, after she paused acting while raising a family; her work has included documentaries and the Rainforest Fund, which has raised more than $45 million for 300 Indigenous-led projects across three continents.