Ben Rivers

Ben Rivers is an artist and experimental filmmaker whose work straddles the boundary between fiction and documentary. Often Rivers will follow individuals who have separated themselves from society, creating footage that he later weaves into fictionalized narratives. Using obsolete camera technology and hand-developing his film, Rivers incorporates the materiality of his medium into his narratives.


Rivers’ work has been shown in many film festivals and galleries around the world. Rivers’ first feature-length-film, Two Years at Sea, was presented in the Orizzonti section of the 68th Venice International Film Festival and won the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize. Rivers is the recipient of the Tiger Award for Short Film at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Robert Gardner film award, Baloise Art Prize at Art Basel, Paul Hamlyn Award for Artists, the London Artists Film and Video Award, among many others.