Ben Chessell
Ben recently completed shooting The Great (created by Oscar Nominee, Tony McNamara) produced by MRC Studios for Hulu/STAN. Prior to The Great, he also directed the critically acclaimed and BAFTA Nominated, Giri/Haji, produced by Sister Pictures for BBC/Netflix.
After studying Ecology and Medieval History at Melbourne University, Ben graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2001. Palace Films released his acclaimed graduation film, [i]The Only Person In The World [/i]theatrically in Australia. Ben was a finalist at the 2002 Dendy Awards, and was nominated for an AFI award, as well as screening at over 20 x festivals (including Telluride and Melbourne International Film Festival, MIFF 2004). Ben went on to make the AFC funded shorts and wrote and directed a telemovie for SBSi, [i]The Heartbreak Tour.[/i] The screenplay was the first to be nominated for the Melbourne Prize for Literature. A finalist in the Kudos/Red Planet Pictures Screenwriting Prize in 2011 and Ben’s first US credit as a director was the first season of [i]Camp[/i] for Matchbox and NBC Universal. Ben has directed many episodes of Australia television including; [i]Dance Academy[/i] (ABC TV/ZDF Germany), [i]RUSH[/i] seasons 3 & 4 and the acclaimed [i]Offspring[/i] seasons 3 & 4. Ben was also the series director for seasons 2 & 3 of [i]The Family Law[/i] for Matchbox / NBC Universal and for [i]Doctor Doctor[/i] for Easy Tiger/Nine Network. In addition to directing, Ben has also written many episodes on these shows. In addition to his television credits, Ben co-wrote and directed his first feature film, [i]Sucker[/i] (co-written with Lawrence Leung) which premiered at MIFF 2015. [i]Sucker[/i] had its North American premiere at the St Lawrence International Film Festival, winning the Best Narrative Feature Award. Ben is currently in post production on [i]Surviving Summer[/i] for Netflix in Australia, where he was set up director on this new YA series. He will soon commence set up on [i]Deadloch[/i], a new series for Amazon.
Film, TV & Theatre Agent
Film, TV & Theatre
Ben recently completed shootingThe Great(created by Oscar Nominee, Tony McNamara) produced by MRC Studios for Hulu/STAN. Prior toThe Great, he also directed the critically acclaimed and BAFTA Nominated,Giri/Haji, produced by Sister Pictures for BBC/Netflix.
After studying Ecology and Medieval History at Melbourne University, Ben graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2001. Palace Films released his acclaimed graduation film,The Only Person In The Worldtheatrically in Australia. Ben was a finalist at the 2002 Dendy Awards, and was nominated for an AFI award, as well as screening at over 20 x festivals (including Telluride and Melbourne International Film Festival, MIFF 2004). Ben went on to make the AFC funded shorts and wrote and directed a telemovie for SBSi,The Heartbreak Tour. The screenplay was the first to be nominated for the Melbourne Prize for Literature.
A finalist in the Kudos/Red Planet Pictures Screenwriting Prize in 2011 and Ben’s first US credit as a director was the first season ofCampfor Matchbox and NBC Universal.
Ben has directed many episodes of Australia television including;Dance Academy(ABC TV/ZDF Germany),RUSHseasons 3 & 4 and the acclaimedOffspringseasons 3 & 4. Ben was also the series director for seasons 2 & 3 ofThe Family Lawfor Matchbox / NBC Universal and forDoctor Doctorfor Easy Tiger/Nine Network. In addition to directing, Ben has also written many episodes on these shows.
In addition to his television credits, Ben co-wrote and directed his first feature film,Sucker(co-written with Lawrence Leung) which premiered at MIFF 2015.Suckerhad its North American premiere at the St Lawrence International Film Festival, winning the Best Narrative Feature Award.
Ben is currently in post production onSurviving Summerfor Netflix in Australia, where he was set up director on this new YA series. He will soon commence set up onDeadloch, a new series for Amazon.
In Development
Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
DIRTY OLD TOWN | Producer: Tait Brady | Writer/Director Feature Film |
THE CENTURY | Headstrong | Writer Television Series |
JERUSALEM | Writer Television Series | |
WRITING RAIN | Producer: Louise Smith | Writer/Director Produced by Louise Smith Feature Film * Winner Australian Writer’s Guild, Best Unproduced Screenplay, 2009 |
Television
Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
DEADLOCH 2023 | Amazon Studios for Amazon Prime Video / Guesswork Television / OK Great Productions | Lead/Set-up director. |
DOCTOR WHO S14 | Director, block four. | |
SURVIVING SUMMER 2021 | Netflix | Lead director. |
THE GREAT 2020 | MRC Studios | Director. 2 episodes. |
GIRI HAJI 2019 | Sister Pictures / BBC One / Netflix | Director. |
THE FAMILY LAW 2017 | Matchbox Pictures / SBS | Director. 10 episodes. |
DOCTOR DOCTOR 2017 - 2018 | Easy Tiger Productions | Director. Eps 209, 210, 309, 310. |
OFFSPRING 2017 | Southern Star / Network Ten | Director 60min comedy/drama (episodes 705 and 706) |
2013 | Matchbox, Berman Braun, NBC Universal | Director (episodes 104 and 105) |
2013 | John Edwards & Imogen Banks. Southern Star / Network Ten | 60min comedy/drama Director (episodes 406 and 407) |
OFFSPRING 2012 | Producers: John Edwards & Imogen Banks. Southern Star / Network Ten | 60min comedy/drama Director (episodes 310 and 311) Writer (Episode 308) |
2011 | Producers: John Edwards & Mimi Butler. Southern Star / Network Ten | 45min police drama Director (episodes 405 and 411) Writer (episode 404) |
RESCUE SPECIAL OPS 2010 | Producer: Sarah Smith & Julie McGauran. Southern Star / Channel Nine | Director (episodes 311 and 312) |
RUSH 2010 | Producers: John Edwards & Mimi Butler. Southern Star / Network Ten | Director (episodes 307 and 322) |
DANCE ACADEMY 2009 | Producer: Joanna Werner. ACTF / ABC TV | Director (episodes 121 and 122) |
ELEPHANT PRINCESS (Series) 2007 | Prod: Jonathan M Shiff. ACTF and Network Ten | Director’s Attachment with Roger Hodgman |
MARX AND VENUS - THE COUNCIL 2007 | SBS Television | Writer (episode 110) |
Film
Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
SUCKER 2015 | Producer: Jason Byrne & Robyn Kershaw | Director and Co-Writer (with Lawrence Leung) Feature Film * Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Australian Writers Guild Awards |
LITTLE DEATHS 2008 | Director (segment “Good Vibrations”). 35mm, 80mins Produced by Jason Byrne * Winner Digi SPAA award, 2008 | |
THE HEARTBREAK TOUR 2005 | SBSi/Australian Film Commission | Short Feature Writer/Director 35mm/HD, 52 mins * Shortlisted for the Melbourne Prize for Literature Writing Award, 2006 |
Short Films
Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
A FAMILIAR LULLABY 2004 | Kulturregion Hannover / Nordmedia | Director 35mm, 15mins Writed by Lally Katz |
AFTERTHOUGHT 2002 | Writer/Director 35mm, 2mins | |
HEARTWORM 2003 | Australian Film Commission | Writer/Director. Produced by Joanna WernerScreened as part of Accelerator Program at Melbourne International Film Festival, 2004Screened at Los Angeles Short Film Festival, 2004Screened at Austin Film Festival, 2004Screened at Exground Film Festival, Germany, 2005Screened at Flickerfest, Sydney, 2005Screened at Shorts Film Festival, Adelaide, 2005 * Screened at Prague Short Film Festival, 2005 |
IS GOD A DJ? 2001 | Writer/Director Betacam, 5mins.Screened at Commonwealth Film Festival, Manchester, 2002Screened at Jaffas Down the Aisle Film Festival, 2003 | |
LOOKER 2001 | Writer/Director 16mm, 1 minScreened at Commonwealth Film Festival, Manchester, 2002Screened at Jaffas Down the Aisle Film Festival, 2003 | |
THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD 2001 | Writer/Director 16mm, 13mins Distributed in Australia and New Zealand Cinemas with Italian for Beginners by Palace FilmsWinner Best Short Film at Australian Circle of Film Critics, 2002Finalist - Dendy Awards at Sydney Film Festival, 2002Screened at Telluride Film Festival, Film Makers of Tomorrow, 2002Screened at St. Tropez Film Festival, 2002Screened at Ghent Film Festival, Belgium, 2002Screened at Hawaii International Film Festival, 2002Winner Jury Prize at Exposures Film Festival, 2002Screened at Flickerfest, Sydney, 2003 * Screened at St. Kilda Film Fesitival, 2003 |