Introduction
Ben Foster (born June 7, 1984) is an American director, editor, producer and composer. His début feature, Strings, won him Best Director award at the Tulsa International Film Festival and Long Island International Film Expo (shared with collaborator Mark Dennis). Strings also made it to the Hollywood Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Gotham Screen Film Festival & Screenplay Contest, and Ventura Film Festival.
Life and career
Foster was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He moved to Texas to attend the Austin School of Film. He attributes his time there as being key in his development as a film maker. He further pursued his education at The Maine Media Workshops, where he studied under actor Barry Primus. He has said that his "student status" always helped when producing short films and was actually still a student at The University of Texas at Austin when production on Strings began.
Foster directed, produced, and edited (along with Mark Dennis) the independent film, Strings, which won the 'Audience Awards' at the Breckenridge Film Festival, White Sands International Film Festival, and Silver City Film Festival. Foster, an Austin-based music video director with an undergraduate degree in Radio/Television/Film, implemented his knowledge of music composition to aid in the writing process on the project. He composed the music for "The Fisher Song", a piano ballad performed by Billy Harvey which interpolates lyrics from the Senses Fail song "Bloody Romance". He also composed "Settling In" a musical cue with Billy Harvey for Strings.
Awards and nominations
Strings (2011)
- Breckenridge Festival of Film: Audience Award
- White Sands International Film Festival: Audience Award
- Route 66 International Film Festival: Best Thriller
- Long Island International Film Expo: Best Director (with Mark Dennis)
- Long Island International Film Expo: Nomination for Best Feature
- Long Island International Film Expo: Nomination for Best First Feature
- Tulsa International Film Festival: Nomination for Best Feature
- Tulsa International Film Festival: Best Director (with Mark Dennis)