Ned Benson

Born in 1977, screenwriter Ned Benson was raised in New York City and educated at the prestigious Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Upon his graduation, he returned to New York City where attended Columbia University. He completed his studies and graduated in 2001. After his graduation Benson wrote and directed four short films, "Four Lean Hounds" (2003), "The Westerner" (2010) "Yes" (2011) and "Citation" (2012), each of which was produced on a budget no greater than $500. In 2013 Benson's feature directorial debut, "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby," was released. The film starred Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, and featured Wiliam Hurt and Isabelle Huppert in supporting roles. The film chronicles the dissolution of a marriage following a couple's tragedy, and was released in an unusual fashion. Benson originally cut the film as two separate films, subtitled "Him" and "Her," telling the film's story from the viewpoint of each of the main characters. When The Weinstein Company took over distribution in 2014, a new combined cut subtitled "Them" was released alongside the two original films.