Veriditas (2025; dir. Benny Rendell)
Based loosely on the “Myth of Daphne”, the tale of a nymph, who, to escape Apollo and his lust, turns into a tree, this film explores the mortal effects of panic, anxiety, and fear induced by a rational, medicalized world, and the hope for some sort of escape. Selected for NYU's New Visions and Voices 2025.
- Starring Fae Leonard-Mann, Leo Lion, & Azalea Rusillon
- Written & Directed by Benny Rendell
- Crew: Manon Arndell, Malo Riou, Jake Heenan, Maggie Heenan, & Caroline Roland Levy.
Street's End (2024; dir. Benny Rendell)
A fragile and elderly New Yorker must take a treacherous journey, with tragic and magical results. Selected for NYU's WinterFest: 2024.
- Starring James Dybas & Azalea Rusillon
- Written & Directed by Benny Rendell
- Crew: Manon Arndell, Bella Maaliki:, Archie Lewis-Harris, Benji Amaya and Ryan Tenn
- Special Thanks to Joanne Rendell, Caroline Roland Levy, Bradley Lewis, & Charlotte Swanson
we are a modern laundry (2024; dir. Benny Rendell)
In a drab laundry room, two strangers meet. beauty, connection, and clean clothes ensue. Selected for Artport Kingston's Emerging Hudson Valley Filmmakers 2024.
- Starring: Leo Lion, Adam Burby
- Original concept: Leo Lion
- Written and Directed: Benny Rendell
Foucault's Trip (2023; dir. Benny Rendell)
An animated short in which the famous French philosopher drops acid in Death Valley.
- Directed, animated, and edited by Benny Rendell
NYU PROJECTS (2023; dir. Benny Rendell)
Food For Plants
In an serene garden tucked away between apartment buildings, a young woman in a big hat and sunglasses enters, carrying gardening equipment and a big secret.
The Professor and the Chicken Lamp
A studious but slightly forgetful philosophy professor must pick up chicken for an important dinner with his family and the Dean on his way home from campus.
Pillow Shot
Claude Debussy reputedly said, “Music is the space between the notes.” This experimental film is about the spaces between the narrative beats. Music by Spooky Ghost
Waiting For Godot
A father and son return to their roles as the famous Gogo and Didi, still waiting for the unknown Godot, 10 years later.
Made for Sight and Sound Studio.
L'Esprit De L'Escalier (2023; dir. Benny Rendell)
An experimental short film devised by Fae Leonard-Mann, Ace Ramsey & Benny Rendell
- Starring Fae Leonard-Mann & Ace Ramsey
- Poem written and performed by Azalea Rusillon
- Directed, shot and edited by Benny Rendell
- Music composed and performed by Gerry Leonard
Woman's Troubles (2022; dir. Benny Rendell
A young woman lost in the woods of the 1890s West, must fight the twin foes of unforgiving nature and patriarchal cruelty.
- Starring: Azalea Rusillon and Benny Rendell.
- Written, edited and directed by Benny Rendell
- Original Song: "Lost One" written and performed by Donna Lewis, music by Archie Lewis-Harris
The Stimulant (2022; dir. Benny Rendell)
"It's not a story the Jedi would tell you." Made over a weekend by two passionate Star Wars fans, this short film shows a Jedi finding a pathway to the Force "that some would consider to be unnatural..."
- Written, edited and directed by Benny Rendell
- Original Score: Archie Lewis-Harris
- Cast: Archie Lewis-Harris and Benny Rendell
Hamlet's The Mousetrap (2021; dir. Benny Rendell)
For a stage production of Hamlet, members of New Genesis Productions (with Mirror Up to Nature Films) made this short film that screened during performances as the play-within-the-play, "The Mousetrap."
- Shot, edited and directed by Benny Rendell
- Costume and Masks: Azalea Rusillon
- Starring: Maggie Heenan, Azalea Rusillon, and Fae Leonard-Mann
Pong (2021; dir. Benny Rendell)
Chickens come home to roost in this dark comedy about the dangers of sport rage and ego on the court. Selected for the 2022 NYU Sports Film Festival.
- Written, edited and directed by Benny Rendell
- Original score by Archie Lewis-Harris
- Cast: Benny Rendell, Robo-Pong
- Thanks to Gay Abel-Bay, Samina Akbari, Ron Aja, Lesley Sawhill
Hurly Burly (2020; dir. Benny Rendell)
Selected for the 2020 Austin and Woodstock Film Festivals and "Highly Commended" by the 2020 Shakespeare Shorts Competition, "Hurly Burly" is a dark comedy about an ambitious actor in a teen Shakespeare troupe who receives a prophecy from a trio of mysterious stage hands about who will play the next leading role.
- Written, edited and directed by Benny Rendell
- Cinematography by Zoe Frances Harvey and Asha Lee
- Original score by Archie Lewis-Harris
- Cast: Jake Heenan, Maggie Heenan, Archie Lewis-Harris, Benny Rendell, Mary Kunicki, Azalea Rusillon, Lucca Lofaro, Georgia Dedolph, Fae Leonard Mann, and Zoe Frances Harvey
COVID PSA (2020; dir. Benny Rendell)
Following NYU's call for public service announcements to raise awareness and change behaviors around COVID-19, Benny Rendell shot, directed and starred in this PSA inspired by Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal. It was chosen as one of the five winners by a panel of experts from NYU's Global Public Health and artist faculty members from Tisch School of the Arts, Tandon School of Engineering, and Steinhardt School.
- Written, shot, edited, and directed: Benny Rendell
- Original score: Archie Lewis-Harris
- Cast: Benny Rendell
School Night (2019; dir. Benny Rendell)
"School Night" is a short film about a teen girl who, when her older brother goes missing, must delve into her town and family's dark secrets. selected for the 2019 New Filmmakers NY Film Festival and the 2019 All American High School Film Festival.
- Written, edited and directed by Benny Rendell
- Cinematography by Leo Lion
- Original score by Archie Lewis-Harris
- Cast: Zoe Harvey, Benny Rendell, Robert Burke Warren, Mary Kunicki, and Brandon Sawhill-Aja
Sister (2017; dir. Benny Rendell)
"Sister" is about a tween alien on the run who finds sisterhood in a small town in upstate New York; while her outer-space captors are closing in. Selected for the 2017 Woodstock Film Festival, he 2017 All American High School Film Festival and the 2017 New Filmmakers NY Festival.
- Written and directed by Benny Rendell
- Original score by Archie Lewis-Harris
- Cast: Fae Leonard Mann, Zoe Frances Harvey, Georgia Dedolph, Maggie Heenan, Maia Weiss, Phoebe Ramaty, Jake Heenan, Archie Lewis-Harris, Benny Rendell,
Cracked (2016; dir. Benny Rendell)
Cracked is a short film about a teen boy whose conspiracy theories might not be as far-fetched as they first seem. The film was selected for the 2016 Woodstock Film Festival and won a Gold Key in the 2017 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
- Written and directed by thirteen year old Benny Rendell
- Cinematography by Leo Lion
- Music by Spooky Ghost
- Cast: Jack Warren, Dante Kanter, Daniel Zuzworsky, Ayun Halliday, Robert Warren, and Bradley Lewis
Behind the Scenes
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