Desperate for life-saving medicine, Jenks resorts to robbing a drug store in small-town Tennessee, but he winds up injuring a mysterious woman named Julia. When he and his friend Randy try to take her to a nearby hospital, Julia gives them a burner phone and tells them to take her to a remote location instead.
This tense, pulpy crime thriller was filmed in 13 days and boasts a cast that includes Theodus Crane (Sinners), Virginia Newcomb (The Beta Test), Frank Mosley (Obex), and Joshua Burge (Vulcanizadora). Don’t Die won the Audience Award for Alabama Film at the 2023 Sidewalk Film Festival and has secured domestic and international distribution.
A project responding to injustice, hoping for resurrection, grieved by apathy. Ben’s third collaboration with indie hip hop artist King Kwofi and Grammy Award-winning producer Kelvin Wooten won the Jury Prize at the 2019 Rocket City Short Film Festival.
When talking to Al.com about Salute, Kwofi said “I don’t expect my art to change anyone, but spark, maybe. So if you find yourself upset and offended, there you are, and if you’re found empowered and uplifted, pass it along. I think the time for people asking to be treated as people is over, and I think the arguments against these stands are over cooked. If you find yourself still in excuse mode then just step to the other side. It’s quite alright.”
SUPER SCIENCE SHOWCASE
KID-FRIENDLY / ACTION-PACKED
Ongoing Franchise • Stream Free on Tubi • Other Release Dates TBD
Ben has contributed three short films to longtime collaborator Lee Fanning’s sprawling Super Science Showcase franchise, including Voice of the Populists, to be included in The Science Adventures of Tom & Huck, now streaming on Tubi and other platforms
Voice of the Populists gives center stage to one of Mark Twain’s strongest female characters - plucky and clever Becky Thatcher. Each Super Science Showcase short has been a unique challenge, offering the opportunity to direct child actors and work within an established house style.
In this gut-wrenching religious thriller, a misled band of youths is confronted by a pastor over their dangerous belief that they’ve found a religious loophole for releasing their inner demons. Starring Kurt Krause (Hidden Figures), Caroline Hebert (I Saw the Light), and Oscar nominee Eric Roberts (Runaway Train), this short won awards at the 2015 Rails To Reel Film Festival and the 2015 Rocket City Short Film Festival.
ROCKET CITY SHAKEDOWN
ZANY / TOPICAL
Short • 2017 • Buy or Rent on Prime
This hilarious “slacker noir” follows a crusading young eccentric on a comedic journey into the mind-numbing world of government bureaucracy and corporate rat races in the technology-driven “Rocket City” of Huntsville, Alabama. The film’s premiere headlined a concert at Straight to Ale in Campus 805 alongside musical performances by local artists featured in the film.
When King Kwofi was looking for visuals to tie in with his latest music project, Ben pitched this film noir-inspired narrative. Thanks to amazing cinematography by Ryan Sims and great performances from Karlecia Swan, Joy Ragland, Tom Hagale, and Kwofi himself, the music video won an Audience Award at Indie Memphis 2018.
Produced as part of the 2025 Rocket City 72 Hour Film Race, the genre prompts “drama” and “first contact” led to a short that won Best Acting at the screening event. The submitted short was polished the day after the race ended into a “100 hour cut” that proudly showcases amazing cinematography, sound, score, and - of course - performances, all created by a talented team of professionals under a tight timeline.
FRANKENSTEIN’S MASTER
CREEPY / CLASSICAL
Short • 2013 • Acquired 2025 • Distribution TBD
With dialogue adapted directly from Mary Shelley’s original text, this moody, Southern Gothic take on a horror classic was filmed in a single day and features great performances and textured design elements, including a wholly original interpretation of the Monster.
THE NOCTURNAL THIRD
DIY / POLISHED
Feature • 2011 • Festival Premiere 2012 • Distribution TDB
Self-financed for less than $10,000 and filmed during off-hours at a working factory, this stylish, Kafka-esque thriller features dynamic cinematography by Stephen Lucas and an expressive synth score by Jesse Ewing. Alabama actors Kevin Maggard, Luke Weaver, and Wescott Youngson hold the screen captive as they wrestle with the economic anxieties and self-doubt that would come to define the Millennial experience.
Ben first collaborated with Them Damn Dogs on Rocket City Shakedown, and soon after collaborated on a music video. Ben went back to his college short film days by functioning as both director and camera department, with some essential help from HMU artist LuAnne Hardee and casting director Julie Haught. Between takes, Julie told Ben about the property that would one day be the location for Don’t Die. Click here for more from Them Damn Dogs, one of Huntsville’s best indie rock bands.
For their second music video collaboration, King Kwofi was looking for a community-driven visual. The result was a fun, whirlwind production that features a sprawling cast of diverse performers, all filmed in a single day across multiple locations.
Music videos are often overlooked as opportunities for dynamic visual storytelling. When Gabe Larose, one of Huntsville’s most prolific artists, was looking for a way to showcase he and his SoundTrust bandmate’s newest songs, Ben jumped at the opportunity to direct his first music video - focusing on telling stories purely with physical performance, composition, and editing.