The Other Works is an opportunity for filmmakers and producers to get the creative and technical assistance they need to complete their projects, as well as, for more experienced Independent filmmakers to find new opportunities in web video and commercials.
Samantha Stevenson-Berkowitz
Producer
Born in Bombay, India, Samantha began working on her father’s Bollywood and Television film sets at the age of 8. Since then, she attended Lawrence University, majoring in English Literature, with a minor in Anthropology. After completing her education, Samantha began working in Chicago as the Producer at Lakeshore Productions and i-cubed, Inc., among other notable companies. In 2005, Samantha produced the independent feature film Before We Were Turtles. Her other credits include: Stranger than Fiction, The War Tapes, The Trouble with DeeDee, Drunk Boat, Dirty Work, Chameleon Street, Nice Bombs, and Crime Fiction. Samantha’s other work includes commercials and corporate videos for Anheuser Busch, GE, Goldman Sachs, Bally Total Fitness and Marlboro. Recently, Samantha post-supervised and associate produced Half-life by Jennifer Phang (Sundance 2008), The Reluctant Traveler (Jacksonville Film Festival 2009), and Supervised Location Post for Duly Noted Inc.'s The Inheritance and Polish Bar.
Samantha currently lives in Los Angeles and works with clients in both LA and Chicago.
Ben Berkowitz
Producer/Director
Ben Berkowitz recently completed Polish Bar, his second feature film as a writer/director, Polish Bar stars Oscar nominee and Emmy winner Judd Hirsch, Vincent Piazza, Golden Brooks, Meat Loaf, James Badge Dale and Richard Belzer. Ben is currently in development on his next script, Walking in Los Angeles, an ensemble comedy about people in LA that are unable to drive.
A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Berkowitz wrote and directed his first critically acclaimed feature film, Straightman, which was a festival hit in 2000, winning multiple awards and is still a top DVD seller.
With his production company Benzfilm Inc. he produced the Sundance documentary Rockets Redglare! in 2002 with actor Steve Buscemi, additionally featuring Matt Dillon and Willem Dafoe. In 2006, along with Studs Terkel, Benzfilm also produced Nice Bombs, an Iraq documentary funded by The Playboy Foundation’s Kristie Hefner, and Robert Deniro’s Tribeca All-Access Film Program. Berkowitz also co-produced the 2008 Sundance feature Half-life, currently receiving critical acclaim at film festivals worldwide.