Vanessa McMahon

“BENJAMIN TROUBLES” is magical realism meets urban comedy set in the streets of downtown Los Angeles. Ben Solano is a depressed and lackadaisical young man who one day finds himself sleeping on the streets. Down and despondent, Ben meets a homeless man who hands him a pair of vintage jeans; but these aren't just any jeans, these are magical ones that produce $100 bills. The film explores what one man does when given a genie in the bottle in the form of his jeans.

I interviewed director Kai Ephron during the AFM as he was negotiating deals with distributors and sales agents. Here is what he had to say:

Can you start by telling us about your film Benjamin Troubles?

Benjamin Troubles is a feature film that I directed and produced and it's the story of a guy who's down on his luck and is given a pair of magic jeans that make money, $100 bills appear in the pocket of the jeans every hour. It's what I call an urban fairytale.

What is it like to go to a market like AFM when searching for a distribution deal for your first film?

Having everyone in town at the same time creates an opportunity for so much to happen so quickly. We had a number of meetings on Benjamin Troubles and we had a number of offers. So for me the Market provided an excellent way to get things done quickly

Do you think it's important for directors and producers to be familiar with the film market place?

It certainly is, It's very important for directors and producers to understand what's selling and to really understand that when undertaking the process of creating a movie. We all know how much work and money goes into making a movie and getting it sold and getting it seen makes it all worthwhile.

How do you feel about the market this year?

For me it was an excellent market, I was able to connect with a lot of people and move some deals along.

Did you manage to get any offers or deals for your film?

We do have standing offers and I'm in the process of figuring out which will be the best for the movie.

Will you keep making movies despite the difficulty in film distribution today? If so, what is your next project? 

I'm very excited about continuing to direct and produce movies, as I believe the cream rises to the top and good projects find distribution and an audience even in the current climate.

You can watch the trailer on Benjamin Troubles at http://www.bentroubles.com

-Interview by Vanessa McMahon; Nov 16th, 2015