Benjamin Odell (producer)

Last updated

Benjamin Odell
Born1969 (age 53–54)
Pennsylvania
Education St. Lawrence University (BA)
Columbia University (MFA)
Occupation Producer

Benjamin Odell (born 1969) is an American writer, director, and producer of independent films.

Contents

Early life and education

Odell was born in 1969. [1] He grew up in Pennsylvania, where, aged six, he became friends with a child from Colombia who was living with neighbours but more or less "adopted" by his own father, and the two families became friends. Odell loved the way the family interacted and expressed "warmth and lust for life [he] hadn't really experienced in suburban white America", and developed a love of Latino / Latin American culture. He visited Colombia when he was 15. [2]

He Graduated from Kent School, Kent, Connecticut in 1987 and St. Lawrence University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1991. In 1992, a year after finishing college, took up a job offer in commercial production in Colombia, and went there to learn Spanish. He lived there until 2000, working as a freelance journalist and then as a Spanish language television writer and screenwriter. [2]

On his return from Columbia he went to film school at Columbia University and graduated with a master of fine arts in 2004. [2] [3]

Career

Colombia

In Colombia (1992–2000), Odell created over 300 hours of Spanish-language narrative for television, including Fuego Verde , an action series which became one of the highest-rated series on Colombian television. [2]

He also co-wrote a feature film called Golpe de estadio (Time Out), a political satire [2] which was nominated for the Goya Award for Best Spanish Language Foreign Film [4] in 1999, was Colombia's Academy Awards entry in 2000 and remains one of the highest-grossing Colombian films of all time. [2]

United States

In his second year of film school in 2005, Odell produced the feature film Confess as a thesis project, starring Ali Larter and Melissa Leo, on a low budget. The storyline follows a disgruntled computer hacker, recently out of prison, who seeks to take revenge on those who helped to get him there, and later turns political. [2] [5]

In 2006, Odell joined Panamax Films, which was founded by James M. McNamara, former CEO and president of the Spanish-language television network, Telemundo Communications. [6] [2]

The Spanish-language thriller, Sangre de mi sangre , also titled Padre Nuestro and directed [7] by fellow Columbia Film School MFA Christopher Zalla, tells the story of a pair of Mexican immigrants in New York City. In May, 2008, the film was released by IFC Films, after which it received two Independent Spirit Awards nominations, for Best First Feature (for which Odell was nominated) and Best Screenplay. [8]

In 2007, continuing his work with Panamax Films, Odell produced Ladron Que Roba a Ladron, which was released in the United States by Lionsgate. The New York Times called the Spanish-language heist movie an "effervescent comedy". [9]

He co-wrote Sin Memoria with Sebastián Borensztein (2011). [10]

Eugenio Derbez and Ben Odell were executive producers on behalf of 3Pas Studios of the 2021 television series Acapulco , which stars Derbez. [11]

Current role

Odell is a partner of 3pas Studios with Mexican comedian and director Eugenio Derbez. [12] [11]

Filmography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diego Luna</span> Mexican actor (born 1979)

Diego Dionisio Luna Alexander is a Mexican actor, director, and producer. He is known for his portrayal of Cassian Andor in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the Disney+ series Andor, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Drama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manolo Cardona</span> Colombian film and television actor

Manuel "Manolo" Julián Cardona Molano is a Colombian actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eugenio Derbez</span> Mexican actor (born 1961)

Eugenio González Derbez is a Mexican actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films and television series, including The Book of Life, The Angry Birds Movie 2, and CODA.

<i>Padre nuestro</i> (2007 film) 2007 American film

Padre nuestro, also known as Sangre de mi sangre is a 2007 Argentinean-American thriller film written and directed by Christopher Zalla, produced by Benjamin Odell, and Per Melita and starring Jesús Ochoa, Armando Hernández, Jorge Adrián Espíndola, and Paola Mendoza. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

<i>XHDRbZ</i> Mexican TV series or program

XHDRBZ is a Mexican sketch comedy television series created by Eugenio Derbez. It premiered on Canal de las Estrellas on 15 July 2002. XHDRBZ emulated a television channel that broadcasts sketches. The series ended production in 2004, due to Derbez wanting to focus on other projects. The final episode aired on 10 March 2004.

<i>Time Out</i> (1998 film) 1998 Colombian film

Time Out is a 1998 Colombian film directed by Sergio Cabrera. It is a political satire, that as of 2016 was the highest-grossing Colombian films of all time.

Joe Menendez is an American film and television director, who has moved between the film and TV medium his entire career.

<i>To Rob a Thief</i> 2007 American film

To Rob a Thief is a 2007 Spanish-language film in which two thieves reunite to rob a television mogul. The sequel Ladrones was released in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vadhir Derbez</span> Mexican actor

Vadhir Derbez Alejandro González Torres Prince, better known as Vadhir Derbez, is a Mexican actor and singer who has worked for Televisa, Univision, Warner Brothers, Netflix, TV Azteca and Telemundo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pantelion Films</span> American film production company

Pantelion Films is an American film production company that was created in 2010 and based in Santa Monica, California. The studio's goal is to bring wider theatrical distribution of movies aimed at Latino audiences. It is backed by TelevisaUnivision and Lionsgate. It has made theatrical relationships with movie exhibition chains including Regal Entertainment Group, AMC Theatres, Cinemex, and Cinemark. The studio's first film was 2011's From Prada to Nada, which Lionsgate and Grupo Televisa announced it had commissioned for a television series that did not materialize in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Alcántara (actor)</span> Peruvian stand-up comedian and actor (born 1964)

Carlos Alberto Alcántara Vilar is a Peruvian stand-up comedian and actor.

<i>Gossip Girl: Acapulco</i> Mexican TV series or program

Gossip Girl: Acapulco is a Mexican teen drama television series, based on the American television series Gossip Girl (2007–2012). It was produced by El Mall and Warner Brothers International Television, with Pedro Torres serving as executive producer for the series.

<i>Instructions Not Included</i> 2013 Mexican film

Instructions Not Included is a 2013 Mexican comedy-drama film co-written, directed by, and starring Eugenio Derbez. The plot follows a Mexican playboy who is suddenly saddled with a love child at his doorstep, and sets off to Los Angeles to find the mother. Released in the United States on August 30, 2013, the film received mixed reviews and grossed $100 million worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oka Giner</span> Mexican actress (b. 1992)

Okairy Alejandra Giner Arredondo, known professionally as Oka Giner, is a Mexican actress who gained popularity for her debut role as Bárbara Fuenmayor in the 2013 Mexican television series, Gossip Girl: Acapulco.

Joseph Novoa is a Venezuelan-Uruguayan film director and executive producer. He is married to the director and scriptwriter Elia K. Schneider and fathered the film director Joel Novoa.

Sebastián Borensztein is an Argentine screenwriter and film director, best known for the films Chinese Take-Away (2011), Heroic Losers (2019) and the horror television miniseries El garante (1997).

<i>De viaje con los Derbez</i> American TV series or program

De viaje con los Derbez is a Spanish-language documentary comedy streaming television series co-produced by Lionsgate, 3Pas Studios, and Wallin Chambers Entertainment. It premiered on 18 October 2019 on Amazon Prime Video worldwide, except for United States, and Puerto Rico, where it streams on Vix since the third season. The series revolves around the Derbez family on their trips to various destinations.

Acapulco is an American Spanish and English-language comedy television series created by Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros, and Jason Shuman, inspired by How to Be a Latin Lover (2017). The series premiered on Apple TV+ on October 8, 2021. In March 2022, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on October 21, 2022. In January 2023, the series was renewed for a third season.

<i>Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe</i> (film) 2023 film by Aitch Alberto

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a 2023 coming-of-age romantic drama film written and directed by Aitch Alberto. It is an adaptation of the 2012 novel of the same name by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. It follows two Mexican-American teenage boys who find an instant connection in 1987 El Paso, Texas, and stars Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzales as the title characters. Verónica Falcón, Kevin Alejandro, Eva Longoria and Eugenio Derbez complete the rest of the cast.

References

  1. ↑ "Odell, Benjamin, 1969- (Person)". Billerica Public Library. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Levine, Sydney (September 29, 2016). "LatinoBuzz: Duo Ben Odell and Eugenio Derbez of 3Pas Studios". Medium. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Columbia Filmmakers Head to Sundance 2023 | School of the Arts". arts.columbia.edu. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Goya Awards: 1999". IMDb. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  5. ↑ Gluckman, M (Spring 2004). "Mary Glucksman profiles six new independently-financed features". Archived from the original on 6 March 2012.
  6. ↑ "About". Panamax Films. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  7. ↑ Holden, Stephen (May 16, 2008). "A Teenager's Betrayal in Brooklyn" .
  8. ↑ Saito, Stephen (12 February 2008). "The 2009 Spirit Award Nominations". Archived from the original on 11 June 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2010.]
  9. ↑ Schemes in Spanish: Ladrón Que Roba a Ladrón Film review by Jeannette Catsoulis (30 August 2007)
  10. ↑ "Sebastian Borensztein (Bio)". Palermo Films. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  11. 1 2 "Apple TV+ expands international slate with bilingual comedy series "Acapulco"". Apple TV+ Press (Australia). December 2, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  12. ↑ Benjamin Odell at IMDb
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.