Ben Proudfoot

Ben Proudfoot (born October 29, 1990) is an Academy Award nominated Canadian filmmaker from Halifax, Nova Scotia.^[1] He is most noted as codirector with Kris Bowers of the short documentary film A Concerto Is a Conversation, which was an Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary (Short Subject) at the 93rd Academy Awards in 2021.^[2]

Proudfoot, who is of Scottish heritage, was active as a sleight-of-hand magician in his youth, winning several international magic competitions, before attending film school at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.^[3] He launched his own film production company, Breakwater Studios, in 2012, and has directed a number of other short films including Dinner with Fred, ink&paper and Life's Work: Six Conversations with Makers.^[3]

On July 27, 2021, The New York Times website published a 16-minute film by Proudfoot about the life of astronomer Jocelyn Bell Burnell. Entitled "The Silent Pulse of the Universe," the film shows her instrumental role in the research on the discovery of pulsars and how she did not receive recognition for her work in the attribution of the Nobel Prize received by Hewish and Ryle. Bell Burnell also describes the extreme prejudice she faced at school, at university and in her career as a woman scientist.

On August 24, 2021, the Times website published another 16-minute film by Proudfoot. "Almost Famous: The First Report" profiles Jason Berry, the Louisiana reporter who broke the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal back in the 1980s — in large part, before the world was ready to listen. In 2002 The Boston Globe did much the same, this time garnering a Pulitizer Prize and inspiring the Academy Award-winning feature film Spotlight, whereas Berry spent ten unrewarding years trying to get traction for his amply documented stories of the church protecting and enabling pedophile priests.

References[]

External links[]

• Ben Proudfoot at IMDb

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