Benny Safdie

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).

Benny Safdie
Safdie in 2010
Born
Benjamin Safdie

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

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.[15] In 2020, he would appear in Pieces of a Woman,[16] and in 2021 would star in the Paul Thomas Anderson film Licorice Pizza.[17]

In 2022, Safdie appeared in Claire Denis' romantic thriller Stars at Noon,[18] and as Nari in the Disney+ miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi.[19] In 2023, he starred in the film adaptation Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.,[20] and will appear as Edward Teller in Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan.[21]

Personal life

Safdie is Jewish, his father of Sephardic-Jewish and Syrian-Jewish descent,[2][22][23][24] and mother an Ashkenazi Jew of Russian-Jewish descent.[25] His uncle is architect Moshe Safdie and is cousins with playwright Oren Safdie.[26]

He is married to Ava Safdie, with whom he has two sons.[27]

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 No 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 Stars at Noon CIA Man Claire Denis
2023 Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Herb Simon Kelly Fremon Craig
Oppenheimer Edward Teller Christopher Nolan Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2016 Togetherness Craddock Brother #2 1 episode
2022 Obi-Wan Kenobi Nari Miniseries, 1 episode
TBA The Curse Main role, upcoming series; also co-creator and writer

Awards and nominations
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Safdie brothers

References
  1. "Benny Safdie". AlloCiné. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  2. 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 January 30, 2022.
  5. "Quinzaine 2009". quinzaine-realisateurs.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 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 (August 28, 2014). "'Heaven Knows What' Review: The Safdies Take a Step Forward". Variety. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  9. "The 2017 Official Selection". Cannes. April 13, 2017. Archived from the original on April 17, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 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 January 26, 2022.
  15. Kohn, Eric (January 20, 2017). "Tragedy, Neurosis, Sundance: The Long, Strange Journey of Person to Person Director Dustin Guy Defa". Indiewire. Retrieved January 14, 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 January 14, 2022.
  17. Sneider, Jeff (August 31, 2020). "Benny Safdie to Play Gay Politician in Paul Thomas Anderson's New '70s Movie". Collider. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  18. "Stars at Noon". Ad Vitam Distribution. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  19. 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 January 14, 2022.
  20. Sneider, Jeff (April 7, 2021). "Exclusive: Benny Safdie Joins Rachel McAdams in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Movie". Collider. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  21. Grobar, Matt (December 9, 2021). "Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer Adds Florence Pugh, Rami Malek & Benny Safdie". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  22. Robinson, George (August 17, 2010). "Being The Safdie Brothers". The Jewish Week. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
  23. Barshad, Amos (August 21, 2017). "The Safdie Brothers Are Classic New York Hustlers". The Fader. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  24. Pfefferman, Naomi (June 17, 2015). "Life as lived by a homeless junkie". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  25. Vance, Kelly (December 25, 2019). "Hoops Hoopla + Precious Stones = Mayhem". East Bay Express. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  26. Foley, Euan (June 29, 2020). "A Brief History of the Safdie Brothers". Port Magazine. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  27. Zeitchik, Steven (August 10, 2017). "Safdie brothers bring a New York flavor to breakout thriller Good Time". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
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