Benjamin was an at-risk youth. A chaotic home life riddled with abuse and drugs drove him to the streets where a relentless passion for breakdancing diverted his attention from more nefarious activities. His crew Fantastic Fource held down the Bay Area from 1984-86 winning every major competition during that time. He discovered surfing shortly thereafter and credits the ocean with saving his life.Benjamin's mother worked in the film industry which fueled his burgeoning passion for cinema. Unfortunately addiction got the best of her and his acting career was short-lived. Mom went into rehab and Benjamin moved with his dad in San Francisco. The film bug went dormant but never died. Working at a residential treatment center for at-risk youth re-ignited his filmmaking pursuits. Through Santa Cruz Community Television, he taught himself and the youth he worked with to make movies. Inspired by Robert Rodriguez's book Rebel Without a Crew, he made three no-budget features in lieu of film school before setting out to make a film intended for public consumption. Benjamin’s debut feature QUALITY OF LIFE was inspired by his involvement with the graffiti subculture growing up on the streets of San Francisco. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival where it won a Jury Award and went on to play festivals around the world, winning more awards along the way. QUALITY OF LIFE was released theatrically in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and other major markets and received home video and television distribution via Universal Studios Home Entertainment. It aired on Netflix and Showtime and was heralded as "…a cult following, and not without reason: It's well-acted, sharply observed, and authentically gritty." (New York Magazine) Benjamin was a co-founder of the Eastern Oregon Film Festival which was voted as “One of the 25 Coolest Festivals in the World” by Moviemaker magazine. Benjamin is also the founder of Filmfort in Boise, the film component of Boise’s burgeoning Treefort Music Festival, “The coolest music festival in America right now.” (Thrillist)Both of these festivals are really "cool" as you may have deduced. Benjamin taught screenwriting at Eastern Oregon University and a DIY Filmmaking class at UC Santa Cruz. He also wrote a DIY filmmaking book, Putting the Pieces Together: The Graffiti Model for Indie Filmmaking (Soft Skull Press). He is currently the Director of the Union County Juvenile Department.