Work — Ben Lear

A short documentary/fiction hybrid film about the foster care to prison pipeline. Commissioned by REPRESENT JUSTICE 2021.

Award-winning feature documentary about three juveniles facing life in prison. It had a nationwide theatrical run before its broadcast premiere on PBS Independent Lens where it won the 2016-2017 season Audience Award. Described as “haunting and provocative” by the Hollywood Reporter and “quietly heartbreaking” by the Playlist, THEY CALL US MONSTERS continues to screen for non-profits, law schools and at juvenile detention facilities across the country, furthering its mission to give a voice to young people behind bars. Produced and directed by Ben Lear.

A follow-up PSA documenting a vaccine education event at Lancaster Prison featuring formerly incarcerated men and members of the Paws For Life K9 Rescue Program. Will air on the institutional channel for over 100,000 incarcerated men and women. Directed and edited by Ben Lear for the California Department of Corrections.

A short documentary featuring Samuel Baxter, a former member of the GOLD COAT prison program, which trains inmates to become caregivers for older inmates with dementia. Shot and edited as research for an upcoming fictional film. No color correction or sound mix. Directed and edited by Ben Lear.

A short-form documentary on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s juvenile justice initiative in Arkansas. Co-produced, edited and directed by Ben Lear for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

A documentary PSA to encourage the California inmate population to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Aired for over 100,000 incarcerated men and women on their institutional channel. Directed and edited by Ben Lear for the California Department of Corrections.

A short-form documentary featuring four high school students at STEM Academy Hollywood, an innovative “Linked Learning” high school. Co-edited and directed by Ben Lear for the Linked Learning Alliance.

“Nick Lassey is a sad sack who wants nothing more than to float on a lake and think about his problems. When he learns he can't rent a paddle boat alone and a buoyant stranger volunteers herself to be his partner, the two set off the most ambivalent, unromantic paddle boat journey ever to be journeyed. Bad for the Boats is a metaphysical thriller masquerading as a farcical comedy about the devastating consequences of being a narcissistic asshole.”
Narrative short film: 11 min. Premiered at Palm Springs International ShortFest (2017)
Written and directed by Ben Lear

“An unrepentant lifer joins a caregiving program for elderly inmates with dementia and forms an unlikely bond with his stubborn patient, teaching one man how to remember and the other how to forget.”
A feature-length screenplay in development with Big Beach Films.
Written and produced by Ben Lear.