Benjamin Odell most recently produced the art house Spanish language thriller PADRE NUESTRO starring Jesus Ochoa and Armando Hernandez which won the grand jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival this winter (2007) and played at New Directors/New Film at Museum of Modern Art in New York this spring. It will be released wide in Mexico in November 2007, and by IFC Films in 2008.
Odell is currently Head of Production for the Miami based feature film company, Panamax Films. Panamax Films was founded by James McNamara, former CEO and president of the Spanish language television network, Telemundo Communications. Panamax Films currently has an output deal with Lionsgate Films to make movies for the US Latino and greater Latin American markets.
Odell produced the action/comedy LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON starring a plethora of Spanish language TV stars and to be released by Lionsgate in August 2007. It will be the biggest opening release for a Spanish language film in US history. He is an executive producer of ALL INCLUSIVE, a US/Mexican/Chilean co-production currently in post-production and VIOLINCHELO, a US/Mexican/Spanish co-production starring Barbara Mori. He was also an executive producer on the action film ROCKAWAY (currently in postproduction), and executive produced the straight-to-DVD holiday comedy title, FELIZ NAVIDAD, to be released on DVD this Christmas by Lionsgate Films.
Odell was an Executive Producer on the film LA MUJER DE MI HERMANO distributed by Lionsgate in April of last year. LA MUJER had the largest opening weekend box office of any Spanish language film in U.S. cinema history. Odell also supervised the distribution of EL VACILON, THE MOVIE in New York and Puerto Rico. EL VACILON was released on DVD by Lionsgate this winter.
Prior to his position at Panamax, Odell owned and ran New York film production company, Centrifugal Films. At Centrifugal he both developed and produced feature films and produced commercials, industrial and institutional videos, music videos and provided for hire television services. Centrifugal Films produced the award-winning feature film, CONFESS (Best Screenplay, Hamptons Film Festival, 2006, Breakout Performance, Method Fest 2006) starring Ali Larter, Melissa Leo, William Sadler and Eugene Byrd. Odell was also an associate producer on the feature films, CORN, by Sundance award winning director Dave Silver, and PERDER ES CUESTION DE METODO, directed by Colombian director Sergio Cabrera. PERDER premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2005. Odell also produced the short film LOOPY which played regularly on The Independent Film Channel in 2005.
Previous to this, Odell lived in Colombia, South America from 1992 to 2000. He first worked as a freelance journalist before becoming a Spanish language television writer and screenwriter there. As a screenwriter, he created and wrote over 300 hours of Spanish-language narrative television, won many television awards and had several of the highest rated shows in Colombia and other countries in Latin America. He also co-wrote the Colombian political satire feature film, GOLPE DE ESTADIO, which was nominated for Spain’s Academy Award, the Goya, in 1999, and was Colombia’s nomination to the Oscar in 2000. It is still one of the ten highest grossing national films in Colombia’s history.
Before moving to Colombia, Odell worked in the development and production in New York City. He worked as a scriptreader for Art Linson (THE UNTOUCHABLES, SINGLES) and for legendary documentary filmmaker, Albert Maylses (GREY GARDENS, GIMME SHELTER).
Odell holds an MFA in film from Columbia University where he was the recipient of the Carla Kuhn Fellowship, the Producer’s Apprentice Fellowship, the Arthur Krim Memorial Award, the Faculty Selects Best Producer Award and The Hallmark Entertainment Producers Development Award. He has taught screenwriting and production at Columbia University and The New School and has given lectures in filmmaking in Central and South America and Europe. In the fall of 2006 Odell oversaw a screenwriting laboratory in conjunction with Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, founded by Edward James Olmos.
Odell is currently Head of Production for the Miami based feature film company, Panamax Films. Panamax Films was founded by James McNamara, former CEO and president of the Spanish language television network, Telemundo Communications. Panamax Films currently has an output deal with Lionsgate Films to make movies for the US Latino and greater Latin American markets.
Odell produced the action/comedy LADRON QUE ROBA A LADRON starring a plethora of Spanish language TV stars and to be released by Lionsgate in August 2007. It will be the biggest opening release for a Spanish language film in US history. He is an executive producer of ALL INCLUSIVE, a US/Mexican/Chilean co-production currently in post-production and VIOLINCHELO, a US/Mexican/Spanish co-production starring Barbara Mori. He was also an executive producer on the action film ROCKAWAY (currently in postproduction), and executive produced the straight-to-DVD holiday comedy title, FELIZ NAVIDAD, to be released on DVD this Christmas by Lionsgate Films.
Odell was an Executive Producer on the film LA MUJER DE MI HERMANO distributed by Lionsgate in April of last year. LA MUJER had the largest opening weekend box office of any Spanish language film in U.S. cinema history. Odell also supervised the distribution of EL VACILON, THE MOVIE in New York and Puerto Rico. EL VACILON was released on DVD by Lionsgate this winter.
Prior to his position at Panamax, Odell owned and ran New York film production company, Centrifugal Films. At Centrifugal he both developed and produced feature films and produced commercials, industrial and institutional videos, music videos and provided for hire television services. Centrifugal Films produced the award-winning feature film, CONFESS (Best Screenplay, Hamptons Film Festival, 2006, Breakout Performance, Method Fest 2006) starring Ali Larter, Melissa Leo, William Sadler and Eugene Byrd. Odell was also an associate producer on the feature films, CORN, by Sundance award winning director Dave Silver, and PERDER ES CUESTION DE METODO, directed by Colombian director Sergio Cabrera. PERDER premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2005. Odell also produced the short film LOOPY which played regularly on The Independent Film Channel in 2005.
Previous to this, Odell lived in Colombia, South America from 1992 to 2000. He first worked as a freelance journalist before becoming a Spanish language television writer and screenwriter there. As a screenwriter, he created and wrote over 300 hours of Spanish-language narrative television, won many television awards and had several of the highest rated shows in Colombia and other countries in Latin America. He also co-wrote the Colombian political satire feature film, GOLPE DE ESTADIO, which was nominated for Spain’s Academy Award, the Goya, in 1999, and was Colombia’s nomination to the Oscar in 2000. It is still one of the ten highest grossing national films in Colombia’s history.
Before moving to Colombia, Odell worked in the development and production in New York City. He worked as a scriptreader for Art Linson (THE UNTOUCHABLES, SINGLES) and for legendary documentary filmmaker, Albert Maylses (GREY GARDENS, GIMME SHELTER).
Odell holds an MFA in film from Columbia University where he was the recipient of the Carla Kuhn Fellowship, the Producer’s Apprentice Fellowship, the Arthur Krim Memorial Award, the Faculty Selects Best Producer Award and The Hallmark Entertainment Producers Development Award. He has taught screenwriting and production at Columbia University and The New School and has given lectures in filmmaking in Central and South America and Europe. In the fall of 2006 Odell oversaw a screenwriting laboratory in conjunction with Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, founded by Edward James Olmos.
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