Ben Makinen is an award-winning filmmaker, music producer, composer, and percussionist. As the founder of Bmakin Film Ltd. and the International Modern Film Alliance (IMFA), he is also a voting member of the Recording Academy (GRAMMYS) in the Producers and Engineers Wing.
Makinen’s newest documentary Echoes of Tradition, now being submitted to film festivals via Film Freeway, has already secured a commitment for national distribution to public television stations (PBS) in the United States for 2025.
His debut feature-length documentary, JazzTown, hailed as “A Lovely film!” by S. Griesbach of Sony Pictures, is available on AppleTV and Amazon Prime, as well as airing on Rocky Mountain PBS. The film has garnered 14 festival awards, including Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Soundtrack, making it the first feature-length documentary produced and distributed entirely by one individual.
With over 40 years of professional experience in film, television, theater, and music production, Ben has established a collaborative reputation within an international community of multimedia clients. JazzTown has been broadcast numerous times on Rocky Mountain PBS.
Ben's short film, Who Killed Jazz, explores the socio-economic challenges facing jazz musicians and has received critical acclaim and multiple awards at international film festivals. The Sleepless Critic praised it as “a comprehensive and fascinating analysis of jazz’s exciting history through the eyes of musicians who have lived and are living through it.”
Beginning his professional journey as a drummer in 1980, Ben branched into music production and composition in 1990. Since founding Bmakin Film in 2001, he has created a diverse array of short films, including music videos, experimental works, narratives, investigative journalism, and documentaries. He has also taught and conducted jazz workshops and served as a guest speaker in film studies classes.
His short film Anthropocene won two Silver Awards at the 2022 Megaflix Film Festival for Best Experimental Film and Best Nature Film. Additionally, his jazz music video Alone At Sunset received the Best Sound Design award at the 2019 Nederland International Film Festival and was an Official Selection at the 2021 Anatolia International Film Festival. His indie music video Hypomania was also an Official Selection at the 2021 Anatolia International Film Festival and a Finalist at the 2021 4th Dimension International Film Festival.
In 2020, during the early waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ben founded the International Modern Film Alliance (IMFA) to support filmmakers lacking access to resources and training. The IMFA's mission is to teach and promote the art of storytelling through the marriage of music and film.
Currently, Ben leads IMFA workshops for children and young adults in Bali, Indonesia, sharing his passion for jazz music while collaborating with local film production companies. He is actively seeking to raise funds and awareness to foster creative collaborations between the U.S. and SE Asia.
Learn more at http://www.benmakinen.com