Benny Safdie

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Benny Safdie
Born
Benjamin Safdie

(1986-02-24) February 24, 1986 (age 36)
New York City, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationFilm director, screenwriter, actor, film editor
Years active2007–present
Spouse(s)
Ava Safdie
​
(m. 2013)​
Children2
Relatives

Benjamin Safdie (born February 24, 1986)[1] is an American film director, screenwriter, actor and film editor, best known for working with his older brother Josh as a filmmaker, whose works include Good Time (2017) and Uncut Gems (2019).

Early life[]

Safdie was born to Amy and Alberto Safdie, he is Jewish and was raised in New York.[2] He and brother Josh would divide their childhood living between their father in Queens and their mother and stepfather in Manhattan upon their parents divorce.[2] He attended Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School,[2] and graduated from the Boston University College of Communication in 2008.[3]

Career[]

Filmmaker[]

Main article: Safdie brothers

The Safdies' first feature was the 2009 film Daddy Longlegs, which they also wrote the screenplay and edited together.[4] The film was showcased in the Directors' Fortnight at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.[5] In 2013, they debuted the documentary film Lenny Cooke at the Tribeca Film Festival,[6] a documentary they became attached to after Cooke approached them to review the footage.[7] In 2014, the pair premiered their next film Heaven Knows What at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.[8] It premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or.[9]

In February 2016, the brothers began filming their crime thriller film Good Time. which Benny starred in alongside Robert Pattinson, in New York City.[10] Benny, for his performance, was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male.[11]

Uncut Gems, Josh and Benny's next film, starred Adam Sandler, Lakeith Stanfield and Julia Fox and was executive produced by Martin Scorsese.[12] The brothers won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director, and Benny shared the Independent Spirit Award for Best Editing with Ronald Bronstein, with whom he co-edited with on all the Safdie brother films.[13]

In December 2020, Showtime gave a series order to a half hour series titled The Curse, which Safdie created alongside Nathan Fielder. They will star alongside Emma Stone in the series, with Josh serving as an executive producer.[14]

Acting roles[]

In 2017, Safdie began taking on performances not directed by himself or Josh, appearing in a role in the film Person to Person (2017).[15] In 2020, he would be cast in Pieces of a Woman (2020),[16] as well as the Paul Thomas Anderson film Licorice Pizza (2021).[17]

He will next appear in the Disney+ miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi (2021),[18] in the film adaptation Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (2022),[19] and as Edward Teller in Oppenheimer (2023), directed by Christopher Nolan.[20]

Personal life[]

Safdie is Jewish, his father a Sephardic Jew of Syrian-Jewish descent,[2][21][22][23] and mother an Ashkenazi Jew of Russian-Jewish descent.[24] His uncle is architect Moshe Safdie and is cousins with playwright Oren Safdie.[25]

He is married to Ava Safdie, with whom he has two sons.[26]

Filmography[]

As filmmaker[]

Year Title Director Writer Editor Notes
2008 The Pleasure of Being Robbed No No Yes
2009 Daddy Longlegs Yes Yes Yes co-director with Josh
2013 Lenny Cooke Yes No Yes co-director with Josh
2014 Heaven Knows What Yes No Yes co-director with Josh
2017 Good Time Yes Yes Yes co-director with Josh
2019 Uncut Gems Yes Yes Yes co-directed with Josh

As actor[]

Film

Year Title Role Director Notes
2017 Person to Person Eugene Dustin Guy Defa
Good Time Nick Nikas Safdie brothers
2020 Pieces of a Woman Chris Kornél Mundruczó
2021 Licorice Pizza Joel Wachs Paul Thomas Anderson
2022 Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Herb Simon Kelly Fremon Craig Post-production
2023 Oppenheimer Edward Teller Christopher Nolan Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2016 Togetherness Craddock Brother #2 Episode: "Advanced Pretend"
2022 Obi-Wan Kenobi Post-production, upcoming miniseries

References[]

  1. ^ "Benny Safdie". AlloCiné. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d Sanneh, Kelefa (December 16, 2019). "The Safdie Brothers' Full-Immersion Filmmaking". The New Yorker. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  3. ^ Brown, Joel (June 12, 2015). "Safdie Brothers' Film Captures Life on the Street". Bostonia. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  4. ^ Macaulay, Scott (January 28, 2010). "Daddy Longlegs Josh and Benny Safdie". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Quinzaine 2009". quinzaine-realisateurs.com. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  6. ^ Kemmerle, Karen (April 15, 2013). "'Lenny Cooke' Directors Josh and Benny Safdie Explore What Happened to the American Dream". Tribeca Film Festival. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  7. ^ Harris, Brandon (December 6, 2013). "Hoop Dreams: Josh and Benny Safdie on Lenny Cooke". Filmmaker. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  8. ^ Foundas, Scott (2014-08-28). "'Heaven Knows What' Review: The Safdies Take a Step Forward". Variety. Retrieved 2015-05-28.
  9. ^ "The 2017 Official Selection". Cannes. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  10. ^ "On the Set for 1/8/16: Robert Pattinson Starts on the Feature, 'Good Time' While Michael Fassbender & Marion Cotillard Wrap 'Assassin's Creed'". SSN Insider. January 8, 2016. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  11. ^ Sharf, Zach (November 21, 2017). "2018 Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 'Get Out' and 'Call Me by Your Name' Dominate". IndieWire. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  12. ^ Hipes, Patrick (September 28, 2018). "Safdie Brothers' 'Uncut Gems' Scores Financing From RT Features & Scorsese's Sikelia – Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  13. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Blyth, Antonia (February 8, 2020). "Independent Spirit Awards Redresses Female Balance With Wins For Lulu Wang, Olivia Wilde & Julia Reichert – Complete Winners List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  14. ^ White, Peter (December 10, 2020). "Emma Stone To Star In Comedy Series The Curse From Nathan Fielder & Safdie Brothers For Showtime". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  15. ^ Kohn, Eric (January 20, 2017). "Tragedy, Neurosis, Sundance: The Long, Strange Journey of Person to Person Director Dustin Guy Defa". Indiewire. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  16. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 21, 2020). "Sarah Snook & Benny Safdie Join 'Pieces Of A Woman; Jaime Zevallos & Adrienne Lovette Board A Boy Like That". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  17. ^ Sneider, Jeff (August 31, 2020). "Benny Safdie to Play Gay Politician in Paul Thomas Anderson's New '70s Movie". Collider. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  18. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 29, 2021). "Obi-Wan Kenobi To Start Production In April; Disney+ Series Cast Includes Joel Edgerton Returning To Star Wars Franchise". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  19. ^ Sneider, Jeff (April 7, 2021). "Exclusive: Benny Safdie Joins Rachel McAdams in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Movie". Collider. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  20. ^ Grobar, Matt (December 9, 2021). "Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer Adds Florence Pugh, Rami Malek & Benny Safdie". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  21. ^ Robinson, George (August 17, 2010). "Being The Safdie Brothers". The Jewish Week. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  22. ^ Barshad, Amos (August 21, 2017). "The Safdie Brothers Are Classic New York Hustlers". The Fader. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  23. ^ Pfefferman, Naomi (June 17, 2015). "Life as lived by a homeless junkie". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  24. ^ Vance, Kelly (December 25, 2019). "Hoops Hoopla + Precious Stones = Mayhem". East Bay Express. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  25. ^ Foley, Euan (June 29, 2020). "A Brief History of the Safdie Brothers". Port Magazine. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  26. ^ Zeitchik, Steven (August 10, 2017). "Safdie brothers bring a New York flavor to breakout thriller Good Time". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 January 2022.

External links[]

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