Joe Benson

Joe Benson was born in Lima, Peru. His mother, Julia Benson (Ore) is a cashier and his father, Richard Benson, taught at literature at various school levels. He is an only child. During childhood, he spent a lot of time in front of the TV and jokingly confesses he was partly raised by family sitcoms like Full House, The Cosby Show & The Simpsons. He was educated at the Benjamin School and then Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, Florida which was later to prove an inspiration for his career at Christian international relief organization Samaritan's Purse. Benson attended the University of Florida, where he majored in TV & Radio Production. It was there that he became a Christian and began making short films, with faith-based themes. His films earned him a position at mega church Christ Fellowship in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. From there, he went on to work with Franklin Graham at Samaritan's Purse, where, he's developed a love for short form documentary. One of his shorts was The Rebound (2014), which chronicled the healing power of faith & basketball in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan struck several regions of the country. The short was chosen by vimeo as a staff pick. The Rebound was not a commercial hit, but it gained a cult audience and high-profile fans, which included Jacob Snyder & Arthur Rasco. Moderate success followed with films such as Les Pâtissiers (2015) & Wrestling in Yida.