Portrait of James Benning

Directing

James Benning

Career

Active from 1971 to 2026, with up to 8 main titles a year.

Average score
GoodWatch score68/100
Highest rated
Poster for El Valley Centro
El Valley Centro
GoodWatch score74/100

What stands out

Compared with the average well-known movie, over 3 of their titles. Select a trait to filter titles.

Energy: 1.7 versus catalog average 4.6EnergyHeart: 2.2 versus catalog average 4.2HeartHumor: 1.0 versus catalog average 2.6HumorWorld: 5.1 versus catalog average 5.6WorldCraft: 3.0 versus catalog average 5.3CraftStyle: 5.4 versus catalog average 5.9Style
James Benning Catalog average

Rarely in their work

  • Family Dynamics
    0.3, average 4.8
  • Adrenaline
    1.2, average 4.8
  • Romance
    0.6, average 3.8
  • Violence
    1.1, average 4.1

Main genres

Select a genre to see those titles.

Recurring tags

  • Experimental Film 8
  • Contemplative 5
  • Avant-Garde 5
  • Slow Cinema 5
  • Non-Linear Narrative 4
  • Visual Essay 4
  • Meditative 3
  • Minimalist Cinema 3
  • Visual Art 3
  • Land Art 3
  • Social Commentary 3
  • Experimental Documentary 3

Works often with

People in at least two of their main titles.

Movies and TV shows

110
Type
Role
Score
Decade
Genre
Group by

Upcoming

3 titles
Hwy 1
Hwy 1

Director

Two Skies
Two Skies

Director

Eden
Eden

Director

2020s

16 titles ยท average score 63
Eight Bridges
Eight Bridges (2026)

Director

Adulthood
Adulthood (2026)

Writer

Little Boy
Little Boy (2025)

Director

Cuba, an Historical Romance
Cuba, an Historical Romance (2024)

Director

The United States of America
The United States of America (2022)

Director, Writer

Allensworth
Allensworth (2022)

Director, Producer

Exquisite Moving Corpse
Exquisite Moving Corpse (2022)

Director

From Bakersfield to Mojave
From Bakersfield to Mojave (2021)

Director

In Process...
In Process... (2021)

Director

Maggie's Farm
Maggie's Farm (2020)

Editor, Director

She Dies Tomorrow
She Dies Tomorrow (2020)
GoodWatch score 63

as Leatherman

On Paradise Road
On Paradise Road (2020)

Director

2010s

53 titles ยท average score 69
Natural History
Natural History (2014)

Director

Coming to Terms
Coming to Terms (2013)

as The Father

All That She Surveys
All That She Surveys (2012)

Writer

Nightfall
Nightfall (2012)

Director

One Way Boogie Woogie
One Way Boogie Woogie (2012)

Director

Stemple Pass
Stemple Pass (2012)

as Ted Kaczynski (voice)

Easy Rider
Easy Rider (2012)

Writer, Editor

Twenty Cigarettes
Twenty Cigarettes (2011)

Director, Writer

The Great Gatsby in Five Minutes
The Great Gatsby in Five Minutes (2011)

as Owl Eyes

YouTube Trilogy: 4 Songs, History, Asian Girls
YouTube Trilogy: 4 Songs, History, Asian Girls (2011)

Director

Small Roads
Small Roads (2011)
GoodWatch score 69

Director

Faces
Faces (2011)

Director

2000s

13 titles ยท average score 70
Ruhr
Ruhr (2009)
GoodWatch score 68

Editor, Sound Editor

Fire & Rain
Fire & Rain (2009)

Director

Lunch Break
Lunch Break (2008)

Editor

Casting a Glance
Casting a Glance (2007)

Director of Photography, Editor

RR
RR (2007)
GoodWatch score 72

Director

Water Spell
Water Spell (2007)

Thanks

One Way Boogie Woogie/27 Years Later
One Way Boogie Woogie/27 Years Later (2005)

Director

Ten Skies
Ten Skies (2004)
GoodWatch score 70

Producer, Director

13 Lakes
13 Lakes (2004)
GoodWatch score 70

Director

Sogobi
Sogobi (2002)

Director

Los
Los (2001)
GoodWatch score 69

Director

El Valley Centro
El Valley Centro (2000)
GoodWatch score 74

Director

1990s

5 titles ยท average score 44
Utopia
Utopia (1998)

Director

Four Corners
Four Corners (1997)

as Narrator

Deseret
Deseret (1996)
GoodWatch score 44

Director

Panama: Exploring the Panama Canal
Panama: Exploring the Panama Canal (1995)

Director

North on Evers
North on Evers (1992)

Director

1980s

8 titles ยท average score 73
Used Innocence
Used Innocence (1989)

as (voice)

Forevermore: Biography of a Leach Lord
Forevermore: Biography of a Leach Lord (1989)

Thanks

TABLE TOP
TABLE TOP (1988)

Director

Landscape Suicide
Landscape Suicide (1987)
GoodWatch score 73

Director, Writer

O Panama
O Panama (1985)

Editor, Sound

American Dreams (Lost and Found)
American Dreams (Lost and Found) (1984)

Director

Pascal's Lemma
Pascal's Lemma (1984)

Director

Him and Me
Him and Me (1982)

Director

1970s

12 titles ยท average score 69
Grand Opera: An Historical Romance
Grand Opera: An Historical Romance (1979)

Director, Writer

11 x 14
11 x 14 (1977)
GoodWatch score 72

Producer, Director

One Way Boogie Woogie
One Way Boogie Woogie (1977)
GoodWatch score 66

Writer, Director

Chicago Loop
Chicago Loop (1976)

Director

The United States of America
The United States of America (1975)

Director

3 Minutes on the Dangers of Film Recording
3 Minutes on the Dangers of Film Recording (1975)

Director

9-1-75
9-1-75 (1975)

Director

I-94
I-94 (1974)

Director

Michigan Avenue
Michigan Avenue (1974)

Director

8ยฝ x 11
8ยฝ x 11 (1974)

Director

Time and a Half
Time and a Half (1972)

Director

Did You Ever Hear That Cricket Sound?
Did You Ever Hear That Cricket Sound? (1971)

Director