Reared in Queens and Hastings New York by two folklorists, Benh Zeitlin helped start the Court 13 independent filmmaking army in 2004.  He makes films under his bed or in abandoned squash courts, or more recently on precarious vessels packed with innocent animals and children.  After animating short films Egg and Origins of Electricity, Benh got stuck in Louisiana making Glory at Sea and now splits his time between New Orleans and Pointe aux Chenes.  His first feature Beasts of the Southern Wild has received support from the Sundance Labs, the NHK award, and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation.

GRANT AWARDED

In 2010, Benh Zeitlin received a SFFS/KRF grant for post-production for Beasts of the Southern Wild.  Beasts of the Southern Wild tells the epic of Hushpuppy, a ferocious six year old living on the wrong side of a worldwide levee with her ailing father Wink.  When a mysterious illness, an environmental apocalypse, and a pack of prehistoric creatures charge her bayou island, Hushpuppy fights to save her Wink and his ragtag posse of drunken sweethearts as they face the end of the world.