Documentary Filmmaker Ben Crosbie Recognized as June Filmmaker of the Month

Friday, June 1, 2012

The District of Columbia Office of Motion Picture and Television Development is pleased to announce Ben Crosbie, award-winning documentary filmmaker and co-founder of Eidolon Films, has been selected as the June 2012 Filmmaker of the Month.

Ben Crosbie is a talented DC-based filmmaker whose work has been broadcast on PBS, screened in museums, cultural centers and film festivals around the world. Driven by a mission to tell compelling stories with strong visuals, Ben co-founded the DC-based production company Eidolon Films in 2007. The company produces independent broadcast documentaries in addition to creative story-driven videos for nonprofits, winning accolades for its professional work.

With a focus on character-based stories, Ben has co-produced various short documentaries and one feature film during his career at Eidolon. "Keeping the Kibbutz," a one-hour documentary about the changing Israeli kibbutz, was broadcast nationally on PBS WORLD and more than 75 PBS stations in the fall of 2011. A winner of a 2012 Telly Award, the film continues to air on individual PBS stations and can be found on digital platforms such as iTunes, SnagFilms, Amazon and Youtube.  

Eidolon's short films have tackled issues such as health care advocacy, community identity and gentrification. Ben was a recipient of a 2011 Young Artist grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, which helped him support the production of 73 Cents. The short film follows a local advocate using art to fight for healthcare change and is currently screening at film festivals and events around the world.  Currently, Eidolon Films is in production of a TV half-hour documentary titled Fate of a Salesman which follows the struggles of a historic clothing store in a rapidly changing neighborhood in Washington, DC. Eidolon is also in development on a feature-length documentary that will examine the dangerous trend of science denial in America.

In addition to film-making, Ben is also an accomplished photographer, a passion he discovered as a student at Georgetown University. Documentary in style, Ben's photographs have been published in the Hill Rag, East of the River magazine, the Washington City Paper and various blogs and online publications. Ben was selected two years in a row for DCist Exposed, a photography show highlighting DC life. Committed to exploring stories within the district, Ben creates work that engages both the local community as well as a national audience. He currently resides in ward one of the District of Columbia.

The DC Film Office launched the Filmmaker of the Month initiative to feature a District-based filmmaker who exemplifies the vast amount of talent and creativity based here in the nation’s capital. The Filmmaker of the Month initiative is part of its mission to elevate the national and international profile of the city’s most talented filmmakers. Previous filmmakers honored include award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter of Kettle of Fish Claudia Myers, Línea Directa producer and documentary filmmaker Eduardo López, Jezebel Filmworks’ founder Ada Babino, and Emmy award-winning videographer and owner of Metro Teleproductions Dave Lilling.

You can visit the Filmmaker of the Month section to learn more about Ben and previous Filmmaker of the Month recipients.