Annelise Ratner, Silliman College

Annelise Ratner graduates summa cum laude with distinction in her major, Film and Media Studies. Her films are formally inventive, emotionally resonant, and deeply thoughtful, and they explore complex, intensely personal subjects with courage and creativity. A child and grandchild of survivors of the Cambodian genocide, Annelise has used her artistic practice to excavate and share the truths — of intergenerational trauma, of grief, of grace — that have shaped her. Whether using hand-drawn animation to transform archival news footage into pointed poetry, or light, sound, and set dressing to turn a safe suburban home into a fraught fantastical dreamscape, Annelise creates richly layered works of cinema. 

Ambitious and meticulous as a writer and director, Annelise is also gifted and giving as a producer, cinematographer, and mentor. Through her work with Yale Cinematic Productions and her service on countless student film sets, Annelise has invested as much care in the growth of her fellow students as she has in her own. 

For her exceptional talent as a filmmaker, and for her lasting contributions to Yale’s film culture, Yale College is delighted to award the Louis Sudler Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts to Annelise Ratner.