Filmmaker

Benjamin recently premiered his second documentary feature, Friends & Neighbors, with his Wagner Brothers filmmaking partner and brother, Christofer. The film addresses the current mental health crisis by “looking for the helpers” in post-pandemic America.

Featuring Look for the Good CEO Anne Kubitsky, Delaware State Senator Sarah McBride, Author Michael Tyler, WRK Group CEO Logan Herring, and Mental Health Counselors Kelli Rae Powell, Matthew D. Tousignant, Winden Rowe, Lauren Scott and more, Friends & Neighbors seeks insights, solutions, and strategies to help heal the anxious and uncertain communities around us all.

The 75-minute documentary was inspired by Benjamin's podcast of the same name in which he speaks with CEOs, artists, authors and athletes about cultivating depth and simplicity in complex times.

Benjamin also researched, wrote, voiced, scored, produced and co-directed the brother's 2012 PBS documentary, Mister Rogers & Me. The film explores the roots of TV icon Fred Rogers' values, unmasks the forces acting against depth and simplicity, and helps viewers develop the means to lead deeper, simpler lives.

The 80-minute feature premiered at The Nantucket Film Festival in 2010, and went on to screen at dozens of others, including The Heartland Film Festival (where it won a “Crystal Heart Award”), The Flagstaff Film Festival (where it claimed “Best Documentary Feature”), and The Paley Center For Media’s DocFest.

The film bowed on PBS in 2012 with a self-styled release campaign that included Paley Center screenings on both coasts, plus luminous coverage in The New York Times, Washington Post, and more. The film aired thousands of times across the country, often as the cornerstone of pledge drives.

Mister Rogers & Me is available on PBS, Amazon Prime and Apple Movies, where it is rated 4.7/5 across hundreds of reviews.