Writer | Director | Producer
A recipient of over a dozen awards, including the 2013 UBCP/ACTRA John Juliani Award for Outstanding Achievement, Ben has amassed over 100 film and TV acting credits, including lead roles in feature films that have played at prestigious festivals such as TIFF, Sundance and Berlin.
As a writer/director/producer, Ben has helmed 2 award-winning, theatrically released feature films: Down River (9 wins and 12 nominations, including Most Popular Canadian Film at VIFF 2013 and Best Feature at the 2014 Soho International Film Festival, NYC) and Moving Malcolm (4 wins and 1 nomination, including Best Feature Film at the 2003 Washington D.C. Film Festival). He has also written and/or directed and produced numerous short films and web series episodes, has directed Robson Arms for CTV, and has developed several original television series for Canadian networks.
For theatre, Ben has appeared in many plays including This, by Melissa James Gibson, Dinner with Friends, by Donald Margulies, and Italian American Reconciliation by John Patrick Shanley. Early in his career, Ben was nominated for a Jessie Richardson award for his portrayal of “Bobby” in David Mamet’s American Buffalo. He has also directed numerous plays, including the Canadian Premieres of Tommy Smith’s White Hot and Christopher Shinn’s Dying City, as well as Either We Talk Or We Don’t Talk, created in collaboration with actors from Haven Studio. In 2020, Ben wrote and directed the one-man show Casey and the Octopus for the inspiring and dynamic 19-year-old cancer survivor Casey Wright.
Next up for Ben is his television series, Trigger Me, which he created and directed and features many Haven Studio actors in lead roles. HBO’s Westworld director/executive producer Richard J. Lewis has come onboard as executive producer.
Ben started his teaching career in 1995, under the tutelage of his mentor Ivana Chubbuck (author, The Power of the Actor). He has also studied with and been greatly influenced by Larry Moss (author, The Intent to Live), Patsy Rodenburg (author, The Second Circle) and Canada’s Mel Tuck.
Having taught acting in Vancouver, Los Angeles and across Canada, Ben established Haven Studio in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood in 2002. He and his team at Haven Studio continue to offer extremely in-demand classes to both top-notch veteran actors and ambitious up-and-coming performers.
NOTE: In 2021, Ben changed his name from Ben Ratner to Ben Immanuel (Immanuel is his middle name) to avoid being repeatedly mistaken for or associated with director/producer Brett Ratner, to whom he has no relation.
Ganjy
“Director-writer-star Ben Ratner’s “Ganjy” is a tough-minded, shaggy dog picture about the sad second act in the lives of many sporting men. He captures the broken smiles and the desperate sadness that grips the athlete when not just the body starts to go, but the mind as well. “Ganjy” is a four actor portrait of hard times and lost lives and it has a sort of sad-sack grace that would make Paddy Chayefsky smile. The filmmaking is simple and direct, just like the story, and the acting feels lived in and authentic. It is a psychic cousin to John Huston’s “Fat City” and I walked away wanting more, which is a compliment.”
Neil Labute
Playwright, filmmaker, television creator
Down River
THE VANCOUVER SUN: “Emotionally successful Down River works at gut level… the characters jump off the page and into our hearts… Ratner’s movie finds real feeling without being sentimental…”
THE TIMES COLONIST: “Ratner balances humour, poignancy and drama…a film of considerable beauty…”
THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT: “…a beautiful experience from funny start to deeply moving finish…”
NOW MAGAZINE TORONTO: “Finally a Canadian script worthy of its excellent cast…Ratner’s story has brains and heart…”
Moving Malcolm
VARIETY: “…augers promisingly for Ratner’s future as a director.”
THE NATIONAL POST: “…an auspicious directorial debut for Ratner.”
THE VANCOUVER PROVINCE: “hilarious, with deft moments of genuine humanity.”
NOW MAGAZINE TORONTO: “[Down River] Finally a Canadian script worthy of its excellent cast…Ratner’s story has brains and heart…”
THE TORONTO STAR: “[Down River] …an intelligent work with moments of poignancy and emotional resonance by a talented filmmaker…”
THE VANCOUVER SUN: “Emotionally successful Down River works at gut level…the characters jump off the page and into our hearts…Ratner’s movie finds real feeling without being sentimental…”
THE TIMES COLONIST: “[Down River] Ratner balances humour, poignancy and drama…a film of considerable beauty…4/5 stars…”
THE NATIONAL POST: “Down River wears its emotions honestly on its sleeve…3/4 stars…”
THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT: “[Down River] …a beautiful experience from funny start to deeply moving finish…”
THE VANCOUVER PROVINCE: “[Down River] a lot of clever, funny business amid the drama…woven seamlessly together…”
THE VANCOUVER OBSERVER: “[Down River] …very moving and delivers a highly affecting ending…strong believable performances…”
TORONTO FILM SCENE: “[Down River] …a potential classic…you will feel uplifted, entertained, amused and moved…”
POPCORNANDVODKA.COM: “[Down River] …my favorite film of Cinequest 2014…full of hope and happiness and a love of life…amazing and intelligent and funny and heartbreaking and truthful…”
VARIETY: “[Moving Malcolm] …augers promisingly for Ratner’s future as a director.”
THE NATIONAL POST: “[Moving Malcolm] …an auspicious directorial debut for Ratner.”
NEIL LABUTE: “[Ganjy] is a psychic cousin to John Huston’s “Fat City” and I walked away wanting more, which is a compliment.”
Awards
DOWN RIVER
2014 SOHO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – Winner of Best World Showcase Feature Film
2014 LEO AWARD – Winner of Best Motion Picture
2014 LEO AWARD – Winner of Best Screenwriting in a Motion Picture
2014 LEO AWARD – Nominated for Best Direction in a Motion Picture
2014 VANCOUVER FILM CRITICS CIRCLE – Winner of Best BC Film
2013 VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – Winner of Audience Award for Most Popular Canadian Film
MOVING MALCOLM
2004 WASHINGTON DC INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL – Winner of the Grand Jury Award Best Feature
2004 HD FILM FEST – Winner of Best Feature Film
2003 MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL – Winner of First Film Special Distinction
Press
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