Benny F. was born in The Bronx, New York. He attended and graduated with a B.A in Mass Communications from Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina. He began his director's journey in 2011 by directing and filming local artists' music videos and establishing the film company BeastSeasonFilms. In 2016 he released his first film, a short, entitled "Timeless Guilt" in which he wrote, produced, edited, filmed and acted in as well. At the end of 2019 he was inspired to write and film his first feature called "Inexistent," but due to the 2020 pandemic production was pushed back to the end of that year. Besides filmmaking being Benny's number one love he also loves sports and traveling. Benny is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
Tell us about your experience at the Hip Hop Film Festival? My experience at this year's Hip Hop Film Festival was different but very delightful as this was my first time participating in a festival virtually. The Icon cypher was pretty dope and Morris Chestnut dropped some great jewels when he was on. I hope HHFF continues to grow and keep doing the amazing work it has been for the culture. I always advise my fellow filmmakers to submit here
Why are stories from the culture important? Stories from the culture are important because it spotlights the nuances, struggles and victories of our everyday life. The right story can give a slight understanding to those who are not around or don't know much about the culture. It's imperative that we bring our culture to the forefront and give a voice to the people that may not have an opportunity to share their stories in this industry.
What projects are you working on now? My team and I love to tackle different genres of film. As of now we are working on a comedy script but still debating whether to make a full feature or just a short. There are also other ideas floating around but nothing yet in stone.
Why do you think the Harlem Film House and Hip Hop Film Festival are important? I think the HFF and HHFF are important because it is for and by the culture. They give us independent filmmakers the platform to showcase our hard work and network with fellow creators. It's a safe place and everyone feels like family.
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