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@ben.volio

@ben.volio is a streaming mobile series based on the character from Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.

A young Black social media influencer, Ben is determined to have a little fun with his friends despite the civil strife of BLM protests and MAGA rallies. His perspective, shot in vertical aspect, is meant to be intimately experienced on phones and universally accessible to an audience that is not typically represented in the performance of heightened language.

  • Scott Westerman
    Director
    Hamlet & Ophelia, F.U. Air
  • Scott Westerman
    Producer
    Hamlet & Ophelia
  • Jessica Dean Turner
    Key Cast
    "Mercutio"
  • Kevin Patterson
    Key Cast
    "Romeo"
  • Steven Cooper
    Key Cast
    "Ben"
  • Risha Tenae
    Key Cast
    "Mayor"
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Web / New Media
  • Runtime:
    34 minutes 18 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 22, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    12,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    4K Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    9:16
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Scott Westerman

SCOTT WESTERMAN (DIRECTOR) is the founding Artistic Director of Go To Productions, a 501©3 nonprofit which develops projects that explore the nexus between live theatre and film. He created and directed the web series Hamlet & Ophelia which won Best Picture at the New York Film Awards, Best Web Series at the LA Film Awards, and Best Mobile Series at the 2022 New Media Film Festival. Scott has directed stage productions for The Artistic Home, Citadel Theatre, ChiArts, City Lit Theatre, Chimera Theatre Company, Beyond This Point, Barter Theatre, Stage Left Theatre, The Smithsonian Institution, American Theatre Company, and Reverie Theatre Company. Scott is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and represented by Gray Talent Group. He has an MFA from The Shakespeare Theatre Academy. As a stage actor, Scott has worked with Steppenwolf Theatre, Writers Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Lookingglass, Northlight, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Ford’s Theatre to name a few. On Camera credits include Chicago Fire, Machine Gun Preacher, Heist 88, the Washingtonienne, and Prison Break. ScottWesterman.org

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