Mark Benjamin

Mark Benjamin (born 1947) is an American documentary filmmaker. He is best known for the Sundance TV series Brick City[1] and the feature film Slam,[2] both of which were shot in his signature Cinema Verité style.

Career

Director/producer

Benjamin began his career as a combat cameraman in the 1973 War in the Sinai Desert for NBC.[3] He has worked throughout his career as a director/cameraman and his work in this area has produced such films as The Last Party,[4] a 1993 political documentary starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop,[5] an adaptation of Danny Hoch's highly praised one-man play.[6] In addition, he is an executive producer with Forest Whitaker and Marc Levin of the Sundance Channel series Brick City. In 2014 he was an executive producer of the CNN Television series, "Chciagoland"[7] along with Robert Redford, Marc Levin and Laura Michalchyshyn.

One of his first films, the Jerusalem Peace (1977) was included in a new directors series at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.[8]

Television

Benjamin was the director of photography for numerous television documentaries including HBO’s Protocols of Zion, Prisoners of the War on Drugs,[9] Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock,[10] Thug Life in D.C.,[11] and Soldiers in the Army of God,[12] and Discovery Channel’s CIA: America’s Secret Warriors.[13]

Awards

Benjamin’s work has won numerous awards, most notably for Slam, which won both the Cannes Film Festival Camera d’Or and the Grand Jury prize at Sundance in 1998, the Sundance TV series Brick City, which won the 2010 Peabody Award,[14] received a 2010 EMMY nomination for Exceptional Merit in Non-Fiction Filmmaking,[15] the Cine Golden Eagle Award,[16] FACTUAL Entertainment Award,[17] and an NAACP Image Award Nomination.[18]

Film and television

Year Project Network Credit Festivals and Project Awards
1974 Lamp Unto My Feet: My Father's House CBS Director, Director of Photography
1975 Cold Frame CBS Director, Director of Photography Shown in the Basel Art Fair
1975 Lamp Unto My Feet: Twice Promised Land CBS Producer, Director, Director of Photography
1977 Jerusalem Peace PBS Producer, Director, Director of Photography Chicago Film Festival, The Museum of Modern Art - Director's Series
1979 Bill Moyers Journal - The People of Nes Ammim PBS Producer, Director
1980 Bill Moyers Journal - Women Inside PBS Producer, Director American Film Festival - Blue Ribbon
1980 Bill Moyers Journal - Barry Commoner: The Politics of Energy PBS Producer, Director
1980 Bill Moyers Journal - Campaign Report: Watts PBS Producer, Director
1980 Bill Moyers Journal - Campaign Report: Ronald Regan PBS Producer, Director
1980 Bill Moyers Journal - Campaign Report: Jimmy Carter PBS Producer, Director
1980 Bill Moyers Journal - Evangelicals and the Right PBS Producer, Director
1980 We are the Guinea Pigs[19] PBS Director of Photography
1980 The New Immigrants Series PBS Director of Photography New York Emmy
1981 NBC White Paper: Crisis in Black America NBC Director of Photography Monte Carlo Film and Television Festival
1982 Creativity with Bill Moyers - Performing Arts High SchoolPBS Director, Director of Photography Primetime Emmy - WON
1982 Portrait of an American Zealot PBS Director of Photography Included in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent film collection, Cinema du Real, Carnegie Hall Cinema
1983 Portrait of America - Puerto Rico TBS Director, Director of Photography Peabody Award Winner,[20] CINE Golden Eagle
1984 Los Sures PBS Director of PhotographyNew York Film Festival, American Film Festival - Blue Ribbon, Global Village Festival
1985 Wall Street Connection WCBS Director of Photography Emmy - Outstanding Documentary (nominated)
1985 National Geographic Explorer: Smoke Jumpers National Geographic Society Producer, Director
1986 Frontline - Inside the Jury Room PBS Director of Photography Blue Ribbon Award, American Film and Video Festival Monitor Award Best Public Affairs Program (nominated) and Best Editing (nominated)
1987 National Geographic's Atocha: Quest for Treasure National Geographic Society Director of Photography American Film Festival, Houston Film Festival - Best Documentary Film, Cine Golden Eagle
1988 The Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis PBS Director of Photography American Film Festival, Blue Ribbon Awards, Best Film - WON, News & Documentary Emmy Awards - WON
1988 Comedy's Dirtiest Dozen HBO Director of Photography
1988 Mondo New York[21] Island Picture Camera Operator
1988 Driving Me Crazy TMG Additional Camera
1989 How to Raise a Drug Free Kid HBO Director of Photography ACE Award - Educational Special (WON)[22]
1989 Badlands Director of Photography Monitor Award
1990 Takeover PBS Director of Photography Sundance Film Festival
1991 Blowback Director of Photography
1991 The Home Front with Bill Moyers PBS Director of Photography duPont-Columbia Award - Gold Baton
1992 Damned in the USA PBS Director of Photography WINNER International Emmy Best Arts Documentary 1991, WINNER Silver Plaque Chicago International Festival 1991, WINNER Melbourne Festival 1991, Edinburgh Film Festival 1991, Margaret Mead Film Festival, New York 1991, Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival 1991, Rotterdam Film Festival 1992, Cork Film Festival 1991, Human Rights Watch Film Festival, New York 1992
1993 The Last Party Triton/ Live Home Video Director, Director of Photography Mill Valley Film Festival
1994 Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock[23] HBO Director of Photography CableACE Award for Best Documentary,

Silver Medal for Best Documentary, Houston International Film Festival
1994 A Time of AIDS[24] The Discovery Channel Director of Photography International Emmy - WON
1995 Talking Sex HBO Director of Photography National Emmy
1995 VH1's The Goods by Todd Oldham VH1 Producer, Director
1996 Prisoners of the War on Drugs[25] HBO Director of Photography
1997 CIA: America's Secret Warriors[26] Discovery Channel Director of Photography duPont-Columbia Award, CableACE - Best Director (nominated)
1997-2001 Egg The Arts Show/ City Arts PBS Director of Photography New York Emmy Award - series
1998 Dead Blue: Surviving Depression[27] HBO Director of Photography Emmy Award: Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special - WON
1998 Naked City: Justice with a Bullet Paramount Television, Magnum Productions Additional Photography
1998 Slam Lions Gate Director of Photography New York Film Festival, Grand Jury Prize - Sundance Film Festival, Camera D'Or & Prix du Public - Cannes Film Festival, 1998 Black Film and Video Network's Reel Black Award
1999 Thug Life in D.C.[28] HBO Director of Photography Emmy for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special, National Council on Crime and Delinquency PASS Award, First Place Winner 32nd Annual Media Awards Competition, National Council on Family Relations
1999 Whiteboyz 20th Century Fox Director of Photography
2000 Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop Producer, Director, Director of Photography Urban World Film Festival, Latino Film Festival, Santa Fe Film Festival
2000 Soldiers in the Army of God[29] HBO Director of Photography NARAL Courageous Advocate Award
2000 EGG, The Arts Show: Who Am I? PBS Producer
2001 Brooklyn Babylon Lions Gate, Artisan Entertainment, Canal + Director of Photography Slamdance (Opening Night film), Hawaii International Film Festival
2001 School's In Disney Channel Producer, Director, Director of Photography
2002 Middle School Confessions[30] HBO Family Additional Camera
2002 Gladiator Days: Anatomy of a Prison Murder[31] HBO Director of Photography
2002 The Trials of Henry Kissinger[32] BBC Director of Photography Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival 2002: Amnesty International - DOEN Award - WON, Independent Spirit Awards 2003 - Truer Than Fiction Award - NOMINATED
2003 Hooked: The Legend of Demetrius Hook Mitchell Director of Photography Tribeca Film Festival
2003 The Blues: Godfathers and Sons PBS Director of Photography Venice Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival
2003 Dave Mathews Band: The Central Park Concert RCA Records Label Camera Operator
2003 Retrospective Director, Cameraman Edison Film Festival
2003 Going Home HBO Director, Director of Photography Contemporary Documentary Series — presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Academy Foundation and the UCLA Film & Television Archive
2004 On the Outs Fader Films, Youth House Productions Director of Photography - 2nd Unit Toronto Film Festival
2004 The First Amendment Project: Poetic License PBS Director of Photography
2004 America Undercover: Back in the Hood: Gang War II HBO Director of Photography
2004 Art in Progress: Philip Pearlstein Director of Photography
2005 Protocols of Zion HBO/Cinemax and ThinkFilm Director of Photography Berlin Film Festival, Sundance, Gold Hugo - Chicago International Film Festival (Best Documentary - nominated)
2005 The American Ruling Class The Alive Mind Director of Photography Aired on Sundance Channel
2007 The Music in Me: A Family Special HBO Family Director, Director of Photography Peabody Award Winner[33]
2008 Why We Fight Now Military Channel Director, Director of Photography
2009 Brick City - Season 1 SundanceTV Executive Producer, Director 2009 Peabody Award Winner,[34] 2010 Golden Eagle Cine Award, Emmy - Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking (nominated),[17] NAACP Image Award (nominated), International Documentary Association (IDA) 2010 - Continuing Series (nominated)[35]
2010 Dirty Old Town Producer New York Independent Film Festival, Royal Flush Film Festival
2010 Brick City Season 2 SundanceTV Executive Producer, Director TIME - Top Television Shows of 2011 (Honorable Mention),[21] 2012 News and Documentary Emmy for "Outstanding Informational Programming - Long Form" (nominated)
2011 The After Party: The Last Party 3 Cameraman New York Los Angeles International Film Festival - Best Documentary Feature - WINNER, Duke City DocFest - Freedom of Speech Award - WINNER, Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood - Best Documentary Feature - WINNER, ThrillSpy International Film Festival - Best Documentary - WINNER
2012 Second Coming?: Will Black America Decide the 2012 Election BET Executive Producer, Director Cronkite Award - National Network Programming - BET (awarded as part of the network's election coverage)[36]
2013 Jersey Strong[37][38][39] Pivot Executive Producer, Director
2013 Flex is Kings[40][41] Consulting Producer Tribeca Film Festival, Somerville Subterranean Cinema
2014 Chicagoland[42][43][44] CNN Executive Producer, Director, Director of Photography Silver Hugo Award - Chicago International Film Festival[45] 2014 IDA: International Documentary Association: Best Limited Series Award - Nominated[46]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1442064/combined
  2. ↑ SLAM http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139615/
  3. ↑ Abel Cine blog
  4. ↑ The Last Party at IMDb
  5. ↑ Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop at IMDb
  6. ↑ New York Times review
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ MOMA press release
  9. ↑ Prisoners of the War on Drugs at IMDB
  10. ↑ Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock at IMDB
  11. ↑ Thug Life in D.C. at IMDb
  12. ↑ Soldiers in the Army of God at IMDb
  13. ↑ CIA: America’s Secret Warriors at IMDb
  14. ↑ 2010 Peabody Award Winners
  15. ↑ 2010 EMMY award nominations
  16. ↑ 2010 CINE award recipients
  17. ↑ 2010 Award winners list
  18. ↑ 41st NAACP Image Award Nominees
  19. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/157083/We-Are-the-Guinea-Pigs/overview
  20. ↑ http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/portrait-of-america
  21. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093558/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm
  22. ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/1990-01-15/entertainment/ca-250_1_ace-awards/2
  23. ↑ http://variety.com/1994/film/reviews/gang-war-bangin-in-little-rock-1200409187/
  24. ↑ http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1993-11-14/lifestyle/9311140340_1_virus-nation-s-blood-banks-lonesome-dove
  25. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/08/arts/television-review-following-drug-dealers-through-the-prison-gates.html
  26. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/tv/show/43794/CIA-America-s-Secret-Warriors/overview
  27. ↑ http://variety.com/1998/tv/reviews/dead-blue-surviving-depression-1200452675/
  28. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/177555/America-Undercover-Thug-Life-in-D-C-/overview
  29. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/227103/Soldiers-in-the-Army-of-God/overview
  30. ↑ http://variety.com/2002/tv/reviews/middle-school-confessions-1200552095/
  31. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0359332/
  32. ↑ http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-trials-of-henry-kissinger-2002
  33. ↑ https://www.namm.org/news/press-releases/hbo-familys-documentary-music-me-wins-66th-annual-
  34. ↑ List of Peabody Award winners (2000–09)#2009
  35. ↑ http://4onceinmylife.com/proyecto/images/stories/ida_announces_2010_nominees.pdf
  36. ↑ http://annenberg.usc.edu/News%20and%20Events/News/130306LearCronkite.aspx
  37. ↑ http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2013/09/13/jersey_strong_on_pivot_a_tv_show_that_gives_former_gang_members_and_lesbian.html
  38. ↑ http://blog.sfgate.com/dwiegand/2013/09/13/tv-review-jersey-makes-a-strong-case-for-reality-tv-on-pivot/
  39. ↑ http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/09/13/reality-tv-jersey-strong-pivot
  40. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2393799/
  41. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/04/movies/flex-is-kings-follows-devotees-of-a-new-dance.html
  42. ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/07/chicagoland-cnn-review_n_4919648.html
  43. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/06/arts/television/cnns-new-series-chicagoland-and-death-row-stories.html?_r=0
  44. ↑ http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-rahm-emanuel-chicagoland-met-20140425-story.html#page=1
  45. ↑ http://dailycaller.com/2014/04/02/cnns-zucker-doing-happy-dance-over-network-awards/
  46. ↑ http://www.documentary.org/awards2014

External links