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Ben Barenholtz (October 5, 1935 – June 27, 2019) was a Polish-born American film producer, exhibitor, and distributor with a significant presence in the independent film scene since the late 1960s. In 1968 Barenholtz opened The Elgin Cinema in New York City which was known for its experimental midnight screenings of new filmmakers.[1]
Barenholtz was known for his eye in discovering new directors such as The Coen Brothers, David Lynch, John Sayles and Guy Maddin, and was the first to bring Cousin Cousine, and John Woo's The Killer to the American screens.
He is often credited with launching and being a close collaborator of the Coen Brothers. He developed and produced a number of cult movies including Barton Fink, Miller's Crossing and Requiem for a Dream.
Barenholtz appeared in the documentary The Hicks of Hollywood,[2] had a bit role in Liquid Sky, and appeared as a zombie in Romero's classic Dawn of the Dead. He was the subject in Stuart Samuels' 2005 documentary Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream.
In 2005 Barenholtz directed his first feature, Music Inn,[3] a documentary about the famed jazz venue, and was the producer of Jamie Greenberg's feature film Stags. In 2012, he produced Suzuya Bobo's first feature, Family Games.
In 2012 he directed and produced Wakaliwood: The Documentary,[4] shot in the slums of Kampala, Uganda.
In 2016, he received the Berlinale Camera award from the Berlinale Film Festival to honor his contributions to the independent film scene.
Barenholtz directed his first and only fiction film, Alina, starring Darya Ekamasova, which was released in the fall of 2017. At the time of his death he was developing the sequel to Alina as well as working on an autobiographical film, Aaron.[5] He died on June 27, 2019, in Prague, Czech Republic, at the age of 83.
^"It Must Be Midnight And Must Be Weird". The New York Times. July 7, 1995. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
^Levine, Sydney. "Ben Barenholtz, A Life in Film International Film Business". Indiewire. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
^"Music Inn – A documentary film". Retrieved 4 April 2014.
^"IMDB: Wakaliwood".
^Barenholtz, Ben. "Barenholtz Productions Inc". Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
BenBarenholtz (October 5, 1935 – June 27, 2019) was a Polish-born American film producer, exhibitor, and distributor with a significant presence in the...
showed films from its opening in 1942 until 1978. Its longtime manager, BenBarenholtz, invented midnight movie programming for the theater. Following a full...
produced. BenBarenholtz, an owner of the Elgin Theater in New York City, saw a private screening of El Topo at the Museum of Modern Art. Barenholtz recalled...
including Astro City. In 2003, BenBarenholtz, Jonathan Alpers and Busiek hoped to develop an Astro City movie, with Barenholtz as producer and Alpers as lead...
was later distributed to BenBarenholtz, the owner of the Elgin Theater in New York City. At the Elgin Theater, Barenholtz had been promoting the midnight...
twenty-five people; twenty-four viewed it the following evening. However, BenBarenholtz, head of distributor Libra Films, persuaded local theater Cinema Village...
reputation in independent film circles. The film garnered the attention of BenBarenholtz, who had successfully distributed other cult films such as the John...
rejected it, but it was screened at the Los Angeles Film Festival, where BenBarenholtz, the distributor of the Elgin Theater, heard about it.: 82–83 He was...
Without a Face Judex 26 Max Wright 75 US Actor All That Jazz Reds 27 BenBarenholtz 83 Poland Producer, Executive Requiem for a Dream Miller's Crossing...
Village Theatre, owned by Roger Euster, with on-site management by BenBarenholtz. When Bill Graham took over the theatre in 1968, it was unused and had...
Taiwanese actress and model Alexander Rodnyansky, Russian producer BenBarenholtz, American producer and distributor Dominique Cabrera, French filmmaker...
(The Struggle for Democracy, with Patrick Watson, and Music Inn, with BenBarenholtz). Barber died on April 24, 2017, after a four-month battle with cancer...
he could show the film at the Berlin forum for non-competing films. BenBarenholtz, who distributed David Lynch's Eraserhead, saw the film at the Berlin...
attached to produce. In 2003, BenBarenholtz, Jonathan Alpers and Kurt Busiek hoped to develop an Astro City movie, with Barenholtz as producer and Alpers as...
chosen for the role of Price in the independent film Stags produced by BenBarenholtz. In 2010 he was a semi-finalist on NBC's Last Comic Standing finishing...
New Line Cinema, Miramax, and BenBarenholtz withdrew their offers after Mann requested a $350,000 advance. Barenholtz stated that the film would perform...
(1999–2004). Xu Zhongyu, 104, Chinese writer and literary scholar. BenBarenholtz, 83, Ukrainian-born American film producer (Miller's Crossing, Barton...
film was attended by 25 people. The second evening had 24 viewers. BenBarenholtz, head of distributor Libra Films International based in New York City...
where the film would play as a "midnight movie" for several months at BenBarenholtz's Elgin Theater. It attracted the attention of rock musician and countercultural...
came from this. In 2003, BenBarenholtz, Jonathan Alpers and Kurt Busiek hoped to develop an Astro City film, with Barenholtz as producer and Alpers as...
Sciences Nano technology Professor Reshef Tenne and Professor Yechezkel Barenholtz Life Sciences Biochemistry Professor Dan Tawfik Social Sciences Psychology...
Votes % Democratic Ed Pastor (incumbent) 84,034 68.5 Republican Bill Barenholtz 32,990 26.9 Libertarian Geoffrey Weber 3,169 2.6 Natural Law Barbara Shelor...
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