ABOUT
Benjamin holds an M.F.A in Film Directing and is a faculty member in the film departments at Lynn University & the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His award-winning features, documentaries & short films have screened in theaters and festivals around the world. He is a member of the Board of Advisors at the legendary Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan and co-founder of the film production company, Celluloid Rain Productions, based in New York and Paris. He is the Festival Director of the New York City International Reel Film Festival and an Advisory Board member to the Havana Film Festival New York and the American Friends of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba. Benjamin is a dual U.S. & French citizen. He holds a law degree (J.D.) from Boston University and provides Pro Bono assistance in intellectual property and asylum/refugee law cases.
His latest film, Havana Coyotes, is the first American film shot in Cuba with an all-Cuban cast since the 1959 Revolution. A narrative feature, Coyotes, explores the prejudices, misconceptions, and deep love of country that persists, to this day, between the US and Cuba. It is now in Production in Havana, Cuba.
His current feature, the award-winning An Extraordinary Affair, an LBGTQ drama set in the Catskills, is about homecomings, second chances, and finding true love in the most unexpected places. It is available on AMAZON PRIME. His film projects include Havana Coyotes, An Extraordinary Affair, Hotel Acajou, PostDemic, Rubberneck, Delivery Hour, Carroll Park, Brooklyn Breach, Speak Softly and Opus 40.
PHILOSOPHY
Throughout my career, I've adhered to the concept of what I call "Film Terroir," meaning my films are intimate, personal and exhibit the characteristic flavor and tone of the region in which they’re filmed. Place, is very important to me and plays prominently in my work. Artisanal is another word that interests me: handcrafted, without mechanization. Through it all, my goal remains constant: I strive to challenge viewers' expectations by crafting unique visual and emotional landscapes to better understand a region in particular, and, the world at large.
CONTACT
borifici@sva.edu / borifici@lynn.edu
