ABOUT + CONTACT
Ben's work is highly crafted and genuinely emotional. He works across narrative and commercial disciplines and has directed projects featuring Gal Gadot, Rose Byrne and Cate Blanchett to name a few.
His narrative career began when he wrote and directed the one hour MTV film HAMMER BAY featuring two-time Oscar nominee Jackie Weaver. Next his short film APRICOT garnered a huge online cult following upon release, winning Best Narrative Film on Vimeo as voted by a community of over 3 million users. The same year he received a nomination for Best Director by the Australian Director’s Guild for surreal horror short film SOME STATIC STARTED. Since then his work has accrued half a dozen Vimeo Staff Picks.
Ben’s coming of age noir short film BLOOD PULLS A GUN had its World Premiere at SXSW Film Festival in competition for the Grand Jury Award. After the BFI London Film Festival and Palm Springs FF screenings it was listed by Raindance as one of the top ten coming of age films of the 21st century, noting Odessa Young’s breakout performance. The same year Ben was awarded Best Emerging Filmmaker at the Melbourne International Film Festival. The film drew praise from Wim Wenders and the Huffington Post called it “seriously brilliant”.
His branded short film THE JOURNEY telling the life story of Brazilian ballet dancer Ingrid Silva won Cannes Silver Lion for Film Craft, a Gold for Best Direction at the Epica Advertising awards and took out the Grand Prix and Gold for Best Branded Content Film at the European Cristal Advertising Awards. Most recently Ben was commissioned by Vogue China to write and direct ARMOUR, a romantic thriller short film featuring Natasha Liu Bordizzo to launch their prestigious Vogue Film publication.
On the commercial side, Ben has helmed projects for clients such as Apple, Audi, Qantas, Inter-LGBT Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Asahi Beer, Woolmark and Playboy Fragrances for Coty.
He has won numerous awards including the Silver SHOTS Young Director Award at the Cannes Lions followed by the New Director Award at Adfest. His project for Apple's celebration of same sex marriage was nominated for the Film Lion at Cannes and won TV Campaign of the Year at the B&T Awards. Other commercial projects he directed have picked up numerous awards including Spikes, Clio’s and two Silver Medals at the Phoenix Awards and a Gold at the New York Festivals’ International Advertising and Television and Film Awards.
Ben continues to work on unique commercial and film projects.
Management
2AM // Christine D'Souza Gelb
Legal
Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof and Fishman // Jacob Shapira
Commercials Representation
USA // Supply + Demand
Australia + New Zealand //Collider
France // Dillinger
All other contact
ben(at)benbriand.com