Benn Wiebe is an Oscar nominee (shortlist) and SXSW-winning producer with over two decades of experience across feature films, television, live events, and digital media. Currently serving as Client & Creative Strategist for Anvil Northwest and the Umpqua Indian Development Corporation, he brings a deep background in cross-platform storytelling, global brand strategy, and social impact. Throughout his career, Benn has delivered over 400 television episodes, 24 feature films, and major global campaigns in collaboration with organizations like Netflix, Sony Pictures, and the United Nations. As the former Executive Producer and Vice Chairman of HF Productions, he also expanded a global network of film festivals across 16 countries. Benn leverages this broad expertise across production, distribution, and advocacy to champion innovative and purposeful storytelling in the screen industries.
How many years have you been a judge?
5+
What are your responsibilities in your current role and what do you love most about your job?
I architect strategies for the marketing agency Anvil Northwest, and for the wider Umpqua Indian Development Corporation. Identifying opportunities for the team here to do brilliant creative work really brings me a sense of joy, and getting people to also team up with a Tribal enterprise is a form of social responsibility more should prioritize. I have gotten to convene creative initiatives at the UN, develop mental health projects in film and games, and produce some profoundly intimate documentaries. I love encouraging people to dig deeper in their exploration of things. And to follow up more with the people they are around. That’s what I hope the stories I push really stimulate in people. En masse.
What inspired you to pursue your career path?
I always wanted to make movies and tell stories. Help other people tell their stories. Then that evolved into realizing how we can amplify and provide for people to shape and tell their stories. Whether that’s individual, or as a business. Ultimately I was inspired by how engaged people are by entertainment and media, and through those vehicles we really can motivate, educate, and move people to care about something. Breed more empathy. That’s the world I want to nurture.
What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?
I was still in film school at the Art Institute, and got on as a production assistant on a couple of independent movies that were shooting locally. I asked around a lot, made it clear I would just work hard regardless of the situation, and somebody shared about a movie shooting and I got on. I immediately learned that a lot of what happens on a movie set simply requires being useful, helpful, thoughtful, and setting a good tone for the day with people. Because the days are long, and they can be in all kinds of conditions. So you never know what to expect. And not knowing entirely what to expect is exhausting over time. So being dependable, proactive, friendly, taking direction, and asking questions, when you’re just starting out is really the first thing I learned. And people who work on shows usually are people who enjoy shows. So showing that you are keen to learn more, and work hard at it, encourages seasoned folks to show you the ropes, teach you things, and bring you along with them to be helpful on their team. You may even discover a new department you didn’t consider before, and maybe you have a knack for it.
What do you look for to determine excellence in video?
Creatively I look for a thoughtfulness. Is it paint-by-number, or is there a real thought put into the finished product, and the story itself? Everyone has a voice, but that doesn’t mean everyone has something important to say. When leaders find their voice in a story, in a project, you see it. It’s palpable. And the technical elements follow.
What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?
Working on developing a new community-based film studio in Portland, Oregon in Pioneer Square, “Portland’s living room.” Partnered with the Oregon Film Office, Outside the Frame, KGW TV network, Hollywood Theatre Portland. There needs to be more places where arts & culture education and events are given a real priority. Especially in some of the most key real estate in cities. This accomplishes that, and we are right in the heart of its development.
Tell us about a moment of recognition that had an effect on you – whether personal or official? What does recognition mean to you and why is it important in our industry?
I was a producer of the documentary “Beautiful Something Left Behind,” which is about grieving children. These kids have lost a parent or parents at very young ages. In the spirit of really giving them the spotlight for their perspective, we did not interview adults. Adults are a part of the story, but they are not the story. This is the kids’ story. The sentiment of how we don’t listen to children was strong here. And I think that ruffled some feathers because not even the NYLife Foundation would support the film. And I flew from Denmark to NY just to take that meeting and get their support. This was a profoundly personal film for the team. So it meant the world, not only when SXSW accepted it for its world premiere, but then when it won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary, that was just completely unexpected. Because hardly anyone was giving the film the attention it deserved. That kids deserve. The reviews came in hard too. Expressing that our film was a difficult watch, and also one of the most important films they had ever seen. Several who wrote wanted to express that. Of how important it is to talk about grief, and allow it to be a dialogue. Especially for children experiencing it. The cherry on top was that Paramount / MTV bought it straight off of this win and distributed it on Paramount+. That also was completely unexpected. For a little film, about some of our most vulnerable people in one of the most intimately delicate and sad moments any of us will experience in life, it found its audience. I’m grateful for that, and proud of that.
Recognition helps inform people that a thing is either well done, or appreciated, or unique, or popular. It can inform about a thing in different ways, but in the end, it compels people to look further into it. Give it a chance. We often miss checking something out not because we know if it’s good or not. It’s that we simply don’t know “enough” about a thing to decide or let it get our attention. That is what recognition does. So I’m glad to play a part in the Telly Awards and recognize great works, and amplify those works beyond.
Do you have any specific practices you lean on to spark creativity?
I prefer existing in calm and quieter spaces. Creativity is most sparked in me by 1-on-1 conversations. When you can really ask questions, dig further into something, share curiosities together with someone. Hard to do that in big groups. A little beach walk, a little yoga is always nice too if you’re near a beach.
In your experience, what is a significant change you are seeing happen in the video, television, and/or film industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?
I think too much of the conversation is being put on technology when it comes to film, video, TV. “The War of the Worlds” didn’t even need a TV when it came out. People really were compelled to wonder what was going on in the world. Alien invasion? And all you had was a radio to hear this wild story play out and convince folks that something big was afoot. Audience engagement doesn’t depend on cutting-edge visual tech or massive budgets. It’s always about how effectively any narrative can hook into our human curiosity. I think we are letting other things contribute too much to losing sight of that. The conversations around how a thing is done may be changing. But the core stays the same. We need to remember that. This is why I practice empathy in leadership. We need to find our humanity. In everything we do. Everything we engage in. Technology can’t give us that.
What excites you about judging for the Telly Awards?
I like amplifying people who have stories to tell. That’s what good producers do. We find storytellers, and we help them find the story, or help build them up to tell a story the way that they want to tell it. Judging for the Telly Awards is also another way of honoring people. People who have put a lot into making great work, and that work deserves recognition. Especially when we realize fresh perspectives through the work that comes through for recognition.
