Ben Rendich is a filmmaker, artist, writer, and for-hire conversationalist based in the Hudson Valley.

Born in Peekskill, NY, Ben was raised in Dutchess and Westchester Counties before moving to the Upstate region.

He has written, produced, and directed five short films, including Isabel, which debuted at Anthology Film Archives’ NewFilmmakers Series, and Sweet Confusion, a proof-of-concept for a feature of the same name. He is currently inviting investors to help make this project a reality — learn more here.

As a visual artist, he creates drawings and paintings that meditate on the intersections of queerness, spectatorship, and history. He also accepts commissions for portraits.

He regularly writes essays about classic cinema on his Substack, Reflections on a Silver Screen. His journalism has been featured in Chronogram, ACE Upstate Alliance for the Creative Economy, and Trixie’s List, for which he’s written numerous articles about local businesses and events in Hudson and Catskill. Read some of his articles here.

Ben also offers his services as a conversationalist-for-hire, providing one-on-one chats with people who feel they could benefit from a new or outside perspective. He is the facilitator of Mankind, a discussion group for gay, bisexual, and queer men at the Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center in Kingston.