An indie-doc filmmaker / surfer on a shoestring budget, passionate and proactive about protecting and restoring the health of the ocean
Ben Judkins is a San Francisco indie-doc filmmaker, passionate about protecting the marine environment through visual storytelling. The Cigarette Surfboard is his feature-length documentary directorial debut. The film has garnered international attention on the film festival circuit, screening at more than 20 reputable festivals around the world in 2024, and winning “Best Documentary Feature” at Waco Independent Film Festival.
  • Producer (2 Credits)
    The Cigarette Surfboard2024
    Documentary
    Marshall2017
    Short
  • Director (2 Credits)
    The Cigarette Surfboard2024
    Documentary
    Marshall2017
    Short
  • Editor (1 Credit)
    The Cigarette Surfboard2024
    Documentary
  • Cinematographer (1 Credit)
    The Cigarette Surfboard2024
    Documentary
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
Hawai‘i International Film Festival
Honolulu, Hawai‘i
2025
Audience Award - Best Feature Film
The Cigarette Surfboard
Bend Film Festival
Bend, Oregon
2024
Audience Award - Best Documentary Feature
The Cigarette Surfboard
Cambridge Film Festival
Cambridge
2024
Best Feature Documentary, Pioneer Award
The Cigarette Surfboard
Richmond International Film Festival
Richmond, Virginia
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
Newport Beach Film Festival
Newport Beach, California
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
Cucalorus Film Festival
Wilmington, North Carolina
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
NorthwestFest International Documentary Film Festival
Edmonton
2024
Best Feature Documentary
The Cigarette Surfboard
Waco Independent Film Festival
Waco, Texas
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
Woods Hole Film Festival
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
2024
Best Documentary
The Cigarette Surfboard
On The Beach International Film Festival
Sofia
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
Full Bloom Film Festival
Statesville
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
Rocky Spirit Film Festival
São Paulo
2024
Jury Grand Prize Nominee
The Cigarette Surfboard
OKO International Ukrainian-Bulgarian Ethnographic Film Festival
Bolgrad
2024
Best Feature Film
The Cigarette Surfboard
Surfalorus Film Festival
Nags Head, North Carolina
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
Wasatch Mountain Film Festival
Salt Lake City, Utah
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
Crested Butte Film Festival
Crested Butte, Colorado
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
Puerto Rico Film Festival
Mayagüez
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
WYO Film Festival
Sheridan, Wyoming
2024
Beauty of Nature Nominee
The Cigarette Surfboard
EKOFILM
Brno
2024
Audience Award - Best Feature Film
The Cigarette Surfboard
Green Film Festival of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
Ojai Film Festival
Ojai, California
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
Irish Surf Film Festival
Galway
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
Nordic Adventure Film Festival
Copenhagen
2024
Official Selection
The Cigarette Surfboard
Anchorage International Film Festival
Anchorage, Alaska
2024
Official Selection
Marshall
West Marin Film Festival
Point Reyes Station, CA
2018
Best Locally-Produced Work
Marshall
Santa Cruz Film Festival
Santa Cruz, CA
2017
College
University of California San Diego
Film
20122014
College
University of California Santa Cruz
Film
20152017
Birth Date
October 3, 1992
Current City
San Francisco, CA
Hometown
Fairfax, CA
Gender
Male
An indie-doc filmmaker / surfer on a shoestring budget, passionate and proactive about protecting and restoring the health of the ocean
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