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Ben Steinbauer

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Ben Steinbauer
Born
Benjamin Jeffrey Steinbauer

(1977-07-28) July 28, 1977 (age 47)
Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
EducationEdmond Memorial High School
University of Kansas (B.A.)
OccupationFilm director
Years active2001–present

Benjamin Jeffrey Steinbauer (born July 28, 1977) is an American director, showrunner, writer, and producer who directed the feature documentary Winnebago Man (2009). Steinbauer also directed the documentary Chop & Steele (2022),[1] which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival,[2] and was the showrunner and director of the episodic television show High Hopes[3] for Jimmy Kimmel's Kimmelot. He also directed the PBS show Stories of the Mind[4] and the CBS docuseries Pink Collar Crimes.[5]

Early life and education

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Ben Steinbauer graduated from Edmond Memorial High School in Edmond, Oklahoma, in 1995 and earned a B.A. in Theatre and Film from the University of Kansas in 2001,[6] where he sits on the Professional Advisory Board of KU Film.[7]

While attending college, Steinbauer began his filmmaking career by producing documentaries and music videos for Forty Minutes of Hell, Everest, and The Danny Pound Band.[8] In 2002, he was a camera operator and editor on Bradley Beesley's documentary The Fearless Freaks, which focuses on the band The Flaming Lips.[9][10]

In 2004, Steinbauer attended the graduate film program at the University of Texas at Austin.[11] His pre-thesis film, "The Next Tim Day", received the best documentary award at Cinema Texas.[12] In 2006, he was awarded a Princess Grace Award for Filmmaking for his graduate thesis film,[13] which developed into the documentary Winnebago Man (2009).[14]

Career

[edit]

After completing his studies, Steinbauer served as a faculty member at the University of Texas at Austin, where he taught Intro to Filmmaking[15] and was recognized as Teacher of the Year for the College of Communications.[16]

Steinbauer co-owns the production company The Bear, which was founded in 2007, with writer and director Berndt Mader.[17]

Steinbauer's documentary Winnebago Man premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2009[18] and was theatrically released in the U.S. and Canada in 2010.[19][20] The documentary received praise from Michael Moore[21] and Roger Ebert.[22] Steinbauer appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2010 to promote the film.[23]

Steinbauer directed the short documentary Brute Force (2012)[24] which premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2012.[25] In 2012, he co-directed Calls To Okies: The Park Grubbs Story (2015) with Bradley Beesley.[26] The short premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2015[27] and was awarded a Vimeo Staff Pick.[28] Steinbauer produced and directed the short documentary The Superlative Light (2016),[29] which was shot in both traditional 2D as well as in virtual reality (VR),[30] and premiered at the South by Southwest in 2016.[31][32] He discussed the production of The Superlative Light in a news magazine[33] and this short documentary was featured in Short of the Week.[34] Steinbauer directed episodes of the PBS series Stories of the Mind in 2016, which won multiple Emmys.[35] His 2016 documentary, Slow To Show, was acquired by The New York Times[36] and awarded a Vimeo Staff Pick.[37]

After Hurricane Harvey, Steinbauer worked with Texas Monthly to make Heroes From the Storm (2017),[38] which was recognized with a Vimeo Staff Pick[39] and selected for the U.S. State Department's American Film Program.[40] In 2018, Steinbauer directed eight episodes of the CBS comedic docuseries Pink Collar Crimes,[41] hosted by Marcia Clark.[42] Steinbauer's documentary Siren Song, which he co-directed with Berndt Mader, premiered at the 2019 Austin Film Festival.[43]

Steinbauer's feature-length comedy documentary Chop & Steele, co-directed with Berndt Mader, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2022.[2] The film features Howie Mandel, David Cross, Reggie Watts, and Bobcat Goldthwait and was released theatrically by Drafthouse Films in spring 2023.[44]

Steinbauer was the showrunner and director of the Hulu Original comedy series, High Hopes. The series focuses on two brothers who operate a cannabis retail outlet.[45]

Ben Steinbauer's production company The Bear makes commercials for clients including Capital One, Whole Foods, Yeti, Indeed, Ram, Alfa Romeo, Southwest Airlines, Dell, U.S. Air Force, Tito's Vodka, Budweiser, Keystone Light, Crate & Barrel, and more.[46]

Awards and nominations

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In 2005, Steinbauer was awarded the Princess Grace Award for Filmmaking for his graduate thesis film,[47] which went on to become Winnebago Man.[48] Steinbauer was named "one of the best emerging Texas filmmakers of 2009" by Texas Monthly for Winnebago Man.[49] Winnebago Man won Best Documentary at the Sarasota Film Festival,[50] an Audience Award at CineVegas Film Festival,[51] Audience Top 10 at Hot Docs Film Festival, the Founders Prize at the Traverse City Film Festival,[52] and Best Documentary at the Edmonton International Film Festival.[53] Winnebago Man was also in the official selection for IDFA[54] and Sheffield Doc/Fest.[55] The Austin Film Critics Association named Winnebago Man the Best Austin Film for 2010.[56]

Steinbauer's 2012 film Brute Force won Best Documentary Short at Sidewalk Moving Pictures Festival[57] in Birmingham, Alabama, and screened at the New Media Film Festival[58] in Los Angeles, California.

Media appearances

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Steinbauer appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2010.[59]

Filmography

[edit]
  • Winnebago Man (2009)
  • Slacker 2011 (2011)
  • Brute Force (2012)
  • Documentary Subjects Wanted (2013)
  • Calls To Okies: The Park Grubbs Story (2015)
  • Slow To Show (2016)
  • Stories of the Mind (2016, five episodes)
  • The Superlative Light (2016)
  • Heroes From the Storm (2017)
  • Pink Collar Crimes (2018, eight episodes)
  • Siren Song (2019)
  • Chop & Steele (2022)
  • High Hopes (American TV series) (2022, six episodes)

References

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  1. ^ Mack, Andrew (March 15, 2023). "CHOP & STEELE Exclusive: First Look at Trailer And Poster For 'Fantastic Fest Presents' Series Doc". ScreenAnarchy. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Chop & Steele | 2022 Tribeca Festival". Tribeca. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  3. ^ Thompson, Jaden (April 2, 2024). "'High Hopes' Trailer: Budtenders Smoke, Flirt and Try to Stay Sober on the Job in Jimmy Kimmel-Produced Reality Series (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  4. ^ Sims, Robert. "Interview: Director Ben Steinbauer and co-director Berndt Mader, 'Chop & Steele'". Lights Camera Austin. KOOP-FM. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  5. ^ Shirley, Ellison (January 1, 2024). "20 Must See CBS Documentaries to Watch outside USA on Paramount Plus". ScreenBinge. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  6. ^ "Alumni News". KU Film & Media Studies. Vol. 10, no. 3. November 2019.
  7. ^ "Professional Advisory Board". film.ku.edu. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  8. ^ "Free State Film Festival Featured Films by Alumni" (PDF). Department of Film & Media Studies. Vol. 2, no. 8. May 2012. p. 19. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  9. ^ Beaudoin, Jedd (May 10, 2019). "Laces Loose: Creative. Naïve. Inspired". KMUW-FM. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  10. ^ Gerhard, Susan (August 2, 2010). "'Winnebago Man' Hits the Road". SF360. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  11. ^ "RTF at SXSW 2016". Radio, Television and Film. University of Texas. February 2, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  12. ^ "County Lines for March 12 2009". The Daily News. Galveston, TX. March 12, 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  13. ^ "Award Winners". Princess Grace Foundation-USA. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  14. ^ Verini, Bob (April 30, 2014). "Variety's Mentor of the Year: Paul Stekler Champions Cinematic Risk-Taking". Variety. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  15. ^ Olsen, Mark (July 18, 2010). "Indie Focus: 'Winnebago Man'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  16. ^ Weisberg, Sam (April 29, 2013). "Ben Steinbauer and Jack Rebney". Screen Comment. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  17. ^ "Team". The Bear. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  18. ^ "2009 SXSW Film Festival Announces Complete Line-Up". /Film. February 2, 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  19. ^ Honeycutt, Kirk (July 9, 2010). "'Winnebago Man' a peculiar stalking documentary". Reuters. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  20. ^ Brody, Richard (August 28, 2020). "Winnebago Man". The New Yorker. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  21. ^ Jones, Kimberly (July 24, 2009). "The Love Connection: Michael Moore hearts Austin and two of its funniest filmmakers, Bob Byington and Ben Steinbauer". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  22. ^ "The Best Films of 2010". Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2012. Andrew McMeels Publishing. December 6, 2011. p. 677. ISBN 9781449408138. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  23. ^ "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Episode #92 - Wanda Sykes, Ben Steinbauer, Jack Rebney, 3OH!3". AirDate.cc. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  24. ^ "Winnebago Man director Ben Steinbauer on his new music film". MusicFilmWeb. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  25. ^ "BRUTE FORCE". SXSW Schedule 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  26. ^ "Call of doodie- new film reminisces about the lost art of prank calling". Oklahoma Gazette (35): 59. August 27, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  27. ^ "Calls to Okies: The Park Grubbs Story | SXSW 2015 Event Schedule". SXSW Schedule 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  28. ^ CALLS TO OKIES: The Park Grubbs Story. The Bear. February 27, 2015. Retrieved June 22, 2024 – via Vimeo.
  29. ^ The Superlative Light - Trailer. The Bear. March 5, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2024 – via Vimeo.
  30. ^ Renovitch, James (March 11, 2016). "Making VR Look Good". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  31. ^ "The Superlative Light - SXSW 2016 Event Schedule". SXSW. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  32. ^ "Interview: Ben Steinbauer, director, "The Superlative Light"". Lights Camera Austin. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  33. ^ Stouffer, Hannah (January 3, 2017). "The Man Who Photographed the Brightest Light in the Universe". Vice. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  34. ^ "The Superlative Light". Short of the Week. December 14, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  35. ^ "Stories of the Mind Wins Emmy". Two Shot West. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  36. ^ Steinbauer, Ben (July 13, 2016). "Opinion | Slow to Show". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  37. ^ SLOW TO SHOW. The Bear. April 4, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2024 – via Vimeo.
  38. ^ "Heroes from the Storm: Stories of the Texas Spirit After Hurricane Harvey". Texas Monthly. December 19, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  39. ^ "Vimeo Staff Picks on Vimeo". Vimeo. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  40. ^ "Heroes From The Storm". American Film Showcase. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  41. ^ "Ben Steinbauer Commits Some Pink Collar Crimes: Winnebago Man director on his new CBS true crime show". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  42. ^ Dehnart, Andy (July 27, 2018). "How Pink Collar Crimes is trying to reinvent the true crime series". reality blurred. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  43. ^ "Texas Films at the 2019 Austin Film Festival". gov.texas.gov. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  44. ^ Carey, Matthew (March 11, 2023). "Drafthouse Films Acquires Documentary 'Chop & Steele' About "Legendary Showmen" Who Created The Found Footage Festival; Sets April Double Feature Release". Deadline. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  45. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (March 18, 2024). "Jimmy Kimmel Producing Cannabis Series for Hulu". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  46. ^ "Studio". The Bear. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  47. ^ "Film News: And the rest ..." The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  48. ^ "The strange story of 'The World's Angriest RV Salesman'". MPR News. September 24, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  49. ^ "Action Heroes - The best emerging Texas filmmakers of 2009". Texas Monthly. April 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  50. ^ Mitchell, Wendy (April 5, 2009). "Sarasota's top prizes go to The Maid, Winnebago Man". ScreenDaily. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  51. ^ Mitchell, Wendy (June 17, 2009). "Revenant takes CineVegas audience prize". ScreenDaily. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  52. ^ Jones, Kimberley (August 4, 2009). "Making Good in Michigan". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  53. ^ "Winnebago Man". Kino Lorber. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  54. ^ "Winnebago Man (2009)". IDFA Archive. IDFA. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  55. ^ MBI (May 9, 2013). "Fav docs of Sheffield Doc/Fest's programmer". The Knowledge Online. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  56. ^ "2010 Awards". Austin Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  57. ^ "2012 Awards". Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  58. ^ "2012" (PDF). New Media Film Festival. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  59. ^ The Tonight Show with Jay Leno · S18 E97 · Jack Rebney & Ben Steinbauer. July 22, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2024 – via watch.plex.tv.
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