Benjamin Flaherty is a filmmaker and photographer with a diverse collection work over the past 15 years – from documentary and art films with Lou Reed and Julian Schnabel to commercial spots for major brands like Humana and KFC. His short form PSA’s have been awarded at Cannes, D&AD, One Show and the Clios. His debut feature documentary Shuffle won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival. He’s lived and worked in Berlin, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. He’s currently based in Austin.
Please List the Title of Your Film at BIFF 2025
Shuffle
What was your first experience with film and how did it influence your first project?
I saw the original Exorcist in the theater with my Dad when I was 7 and was thoroughly terrified. More specifically, my grandfather was a photographer and being around the cameras and film likely had a bigger influence on me than seeing movies at an early age. He was actually taking photos, he had a dark room in his basement. He was making something. I wanted to do that. With Shuffle, I wanted to make something. I didn’t want to talk about it, or pitch an idea or try to convince anyone. I just wanted to make something. I needed to. So that’s what I (we) did.
Who is (are) your favorite filmmakers?
Roy Andersson
Jean Pierre Jeunet
PT Anderson
What are you working on that no one knows about?
a book of photos.
Who would play you in a movie? What’s your go to movie snack? What’s the film title that best describes your life?
Giovanni Ribisi
Popcorn
Oldboy
