A child peering through a broken window with a serious expression, with artwork and a poster of a face on the wall in the background, and an overlay announcing the Salem Film Fest 2026 and Ashland Independent Film Festival.

Tornado Tastes Like Aluminum Sting / Producer, Director (with Harmon dot aut)
Ashland Independent Film Festival

A person wearing a black cap and glasses raises their right hand during a Dorchester Clemente Course in the Humanities class, with others blurred in the background. Overlaid are three film festival laurels indicating awards from 2021.

A Reckoning in Boston / Producer, Director, Editor, Writer
Big Sky Documentary Festival, Human Rights Watch Film Festival, Independent Lens PBS

Samuel Habib smiling and wearing a Boston Red Sox jersey at a baseball field. People are in the background near the dugout and fenced field, under a cloudy sky.

The Ride Ahead / Editor
Hot Docs, Sheffield DocFest, Sydney Film Festival, DC/DOC, Independent Film Festival of Boston

Sam Habib in a wheelchair being escorted by a woman in a pink dress at a public event with a crowd of people in the background, promoting a documentary titled 'My Disability Roadmap'.

My Disability Roadmap / Editor
Hot Docs, Best Documentary, LA Shorts, News & Documentary Emmy™ Award

“Rutenbeck is one of New England’s most accomplished documentary filmmakers, and A Reckoning in Boston is a sobering example of his talent.”

- Video Librarian
A digitally illustrated political cartoon depicting a man with dollar bills on his shoulders and a large smile, watching a robotic figure trying to fundraise with a coin in front of a stylized American flag. The scene symbolizes political corruption and influence, with an award emblem from the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival 2022 in the lower right corner.

Nixon’s Reversal / Executive Producer, Director (with Jenny Alexander), Editor
News & Documentary Emmy nomination, Outstanding Graphic Design, Premiere: American Documentary & Animation Film Festival

A young girl sitting on a chair at a Head Start graduation ceremony, wearing a red cap and star-shaped sunglasses, with her hand covering her face. Cinematographer Antonio Cisneros is filming the event, kneeling on the floor.

Class of ‘27 / Executive Producer, Director, Editor
du Pont Columbia Journalism Award

D.J. Savarese walking on a sidewalk in a park, holding books and looking down, with overlay graphics indicating awards from Peabody in 2017, including Best Feature at Chagrin Doc Fest and Audience Award at Newburyport Film Festival.

DEEJ / Editor (with Robert Rooy)
George Foster Peabody Award

A dusty, abandoned industrial setting with a rusted bench, a pair of work gloves, and metal blocks on a concrete floor.

Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? / Producer, Director, Editor, Writer
du Pont Columbia Journalism Award

“…a moving documentary which aims to expand the current narratives surrounding rural poverty in America.”

- The Atlantic
Low-angle view of a steel bridge structure with a church steeple with a cross in the background against a cloudy sky.

Scenes from a Parish / Producer, Director, Editor
Independent Lens PBS

Roberto Clemente in a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform and cap holding a bat, looking off into the distance.

Roberto Clemente / Editor
NCLR ALMA Award for Outstanding Made-for-Television Documentary

“Steer the faithful, and everyone else, to Scenes from a Parish, a surpassingly lucid documentary…It raises more questions about the church’s place in a changing world—and touches more emotions doing so—than any big-budget studio folderol...”

- Ty Burr, Boston Globe
Black and white photo of a civil rights protest march with people holding signs and a group of men in suits and hats at the forefront. One sign reads 'Let the poor speak for themselves,' and other signs carry messages advocating against poverty and discrimination. There is a large building and trees in the background.

American’s War on Poverty / Editor
du Pont Columbia Journalism Award

A woman lying on her side with her head resting on a pillow, looking directly at the camera with a gentle expression. There is a white film festival winner laurels graphic with text indicating 'Winner Best Film Hamptons International Film Festival' overlaying the upper right corner of the image.

Home Before Dark / Editor
Grand Jury Prize for Best American Independent Film, Hamptons International Film Festival

Farmer John Ferrari wearing a baseball cap driving a vehicle with a large side mirror, with a cloudy sky in the background.

Losing Ground / Producer, Director, Editor
Cinema du Reel, Flaherty Film Seminar

Black and white close-up photo of a young man wearing a cowboy hat, with intense eyes and serious expression.

Company Town / Producer, Director, Editor
Sinking Creek Film Celebration, Flaherty Film Seminar

“Company Town avoids the obvious political clichés but causes one to wonder, ‘why do they stay?’ and at the same time to understand that this place, these activities, with all their limitations are still unique and wonderful. It is an aesthetic mystery film.”

- Richard Leacock