Ben Makinen: musician, songwriter, film producer, screen writer, and jazz jam host!
Colorado award-winning filmmaker and music producer Ben Makinen has two short films chosen as Official Selections for this year’s Nederland International Film Festival.
Anthropocene (also an Official Selection of the EFPalooza Film Festival held in February) is a short film by Ben Makinen and set to an original electronica composition of his titled “Finding Home”. Anthropocene is a “… stunning cinematic journey,” across the state of Colorado and features breathtaking aerial photography over the bustling and vibrant city of Denver.
Alone at Sunset is a film-noir music video shot and directed by Makinen featuring the singing and acting talents of international recording artist (and Colorado resident) Robert Johnson. Renowned Boulder pianist and composer Scott Martin wrote and produced the atmospheric jazz ballad “Alone at Sunset”, and this film features the two of them recounting a tale of woe upon the stage of the famed Nocturne jazz club and follows Mr Johnson drifting through Denver’s iconic RiNo district in a fog of remorse at the one great love to have slipped away.
Makinen, a professional drummer and music producer by trade, branched into film and photography 20 years ago while touring the U.S. as a drummer with broadway shows. He formed his company Bmakin Film to produce documentary films, shorts and music videos that shine a light on Colorado talent. He has since expanded to covering international events and is working on opening an international film school on the island of Bali in Indonesia. He is also planning on releasing his feature length jazz documentary, titled JazzTown, in the Spring of 2020 that features many of his early music mentors and fabled jazz heroes from the vibrant Colorado music scene.
More info at http://www.benmakinen.com
Contact Mr Makinen via email at benmakinen@mac.com
The 3rd Annual Nederland International Film Festival (NIFF) takes place on November 23rd in Nederland, Colorado at the Backdoor Theatre from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
More info at http://www.coloradofests.com