Ben Coccio (born August 2, 1975) is an American filmmaker from Niskayuna, New York. He is best known for directing the feature film Zero Day and for co-writing The Place Beyond The Pines.
Contents |
Coccio attended the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1997 with a BFA Film/Animation/Video.
Coccio's first directorial effort was the short film, 5:45am, released in 2000 by IFC. His next project was Zero Day, a fictionalized account of two high-school teens who plan and then execute a violent attack on their peers inside their highschool. The film was admittedly a study of the Columbine High School shootings, and the two characters bear much resemblance to Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.
In 2003, Coccio received the award for Best Director at Slamdunk Film Festival, was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award[1], and was named one of MovieMaker Magazine's upcoming directors to watch for.
In 2005 he was awarded a Connecticut State Commission on Culture and Tourism Artist Fellowship Award in the category of Film and Video. [2]
Coccio co-wrote The Place Beyond The Pines with Director Derek Cianfrance, setting the story in his hometown of Schenectady, New York.