James Benning

James Benning

Directing

Born December 28, 1942 · Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

97 films as director · Active 1971–2026

Over the past thirty-five years James Benning (b. 1942) has played a central role in the history of American independent cinema by offering his rigorously structured yet wonderfully graceful films as…

Known for

She Dies Tomorrow

She Dies Tomorrow

2020

thinking of red

thinking of red

2016

中孚 61. The Inner Truth

中孚 61. The Inner Truth

2019

The Great Gatsby in Five Minutes

The Great Gatsby in Five Minutes

2011

Benning's Dream

Benning's Dream

2021

Coming to Terms

Coming to Terms

2013

Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater

Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater

2013

Telemundo

Telemundo

2018

Directed(97)

Eight Bridges

2026Eight Bridges

Little Boy

2025Little Boy★ 6.0

2024Cuba, an Historical Romance

Breathless

Exquisite Moving Corpse

2022Exquisite Moving Corpse

TEN YEARS LATER

2022TEN YEARS LATER

Allensworth

2022Allensworth★ 8.0

The United States of America

2022The United States of America★ 5.5

From Bakersfield to Mojave

2021From Bakersfield to Mojave

In Process...

2021In Process...

PLACE

Maggie's Farm

2020Maggie's Farm

On Paradise Road

2020On Paradise Road

2020Dancing in the Street, 11 grados de separación

daylight

Two Moons

2019Two Moons★ 5.0

L. Cohen

2018L. Cohen★ 5.2

glory

2018glory★ 8.0

Telemundo

2018Telemundo★ 3.5

2018Birth of a Nation

after Traylor. Thoreau cabin (2008-2018)

2018after Traylor. Thoreau cabin (2008-2018)

2017Untitled Fragments

Readers

2017Readers★ 4.5

Measuring Change

2016Measuring Change★ 5.7

Spring Equinox

2016Spring Equinox★ 6.0

2016scorched earth

Fall Equinox

2016Fall Equinox★ 6.0

2016thinking of red

Perimeter

52 Films

Natural History

2014Natural History★ 5.4

signs

2014Concord Woods

2014FUCK ME (green)

2014FUCK ME (orange)

BNSF

2013BNSF★ 5.5

The War

2012The War★ 2.3

Stemple Pass

2012Stemple Pass★ 7.5

Nightfall

2012Nightfall★ 6.2

Easy Rider

2012Easy Rider★ 6.8

Postscript

2012Postscript★ 4.0

One Way Boogie Woogie

2012One Way Boogie Woogie★ 7.5

20 Little Films

201220 Little Films

Twenty Cigarettes

2011Twenty Cigarettes★ 3.0

Small Roads

2011Small Roads★ 6.8

Two Cabins

2011Two Cabins★ 7.0

Faces

YouTube Trilogy: 4 Songs, History, Asian Girls

2011YouTube Trilogy: 4 Songs, History, Asian Girls★ 5.7

After Warhol

2011After Warhol★ 5.0

Pig Iron

2010Pig Iron★ 7.2

2010Faces 1973★ 5.0

Among Enemies: Jeonju Digital Project 2010

2010Among Enemies: Jeonju Digital Project 2010

John Krieg Exiting the Falk Corporation in 1971

2010John Krieg Exiting the Falk Corporation in 1971

Tulare Road

2010Tulare Road

2010Reforming the Past

Ruhr

2009Ruhr★ 6.6

Fire & Rain

2009Fire & Rain★ 10.0

Casting a Glance

2007Casting a Glance★ 7.4

One Way Boogie Woogie/27 Years Later

2005One Way Boogie Woogie/27 Years Later★ 6.6

74.78

13 Lakes

200413 Lakes★ 6.8

Ten Skies

2004Ten Skies★ 7.2

Sogobi

2002Sogobi★ 6.8

Los

El Valley Centro

2000El Valley Centro★ 7.4

Utopia

1998Utopia★ 7.0

Four Corners

1997Four Corners★ 6.3

Deseret

1995Deseret★ 5.6

Panama: Exploring the Panama Canal

1995Panama: Exploring the Panama Canal

North on Evers

1992North on Evers★ 7.5

Used Innocence

1989Used Innocence★ 6.0

TABLE TOP

Landscape Suicide

1987Landscape Suicide★ 7.4

O Panama

1985O Panama★ 7.0

American Dreams (Lost and Found)

1984American Dreams (Lost and Found)★ 7.4

1984Pascal's Lemma

Him and Me

1982Him and Me★ 8.0

Grand Opera: An Historical Romance

1979Grand Opera: An Historical Romance★ 7.5

11 x 14

197711 x 14★ 7.4

One Way Boogie Woogie

1977One Way Boogie Woogie★ 6.1

Chicago Loop

1976Chicago Loop★ 8.0

19753 Minutes on the Dangers of Film Recording★ 10.0

The United States of America

1975The United States of America★ 7.8

9-1-75

19759-1-75★ 8.0

8½ x 11

19748½ x 11★ 10.0

I-94

1974I-94★ 5.3

Michigan Avenue

1974Michigan Avenue★ 5.6

Time and a Half

1972Time and a Half

1971Did You Ever Hear That Cricket Sound?★ 10.0

Acting(17)

2021Benning's DreamSelf (voice)

2020On Paradise Road

2020She Dies TomorrowLeatherman

2019中孚 61. The Inner Truth

2018TelemundoHimself

2018L. CohenHimself

2016thinking of red

2013Coming to TermsThe Father

2013Double Play: James Benning and Richard LinklaterSelf

2012Stemple PassTed Kaczynski (voice)

2012MaintenanceHimself

2011The Great Gatsby in Five MinutesOwl Eyes

2003James Benning: Circling the ImageHimself

1997Four CornersNarrator

1989Forevermore: Biography of a Leach Lord

1989Used Innocence(voice)

1975The United States of America

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