Benjamin-Shalom Rodriguez

BENJAMIN-SHALOM RODRIGUEZ is a queer, Mexican-Israeli-American writer, director, and comedian. He’s the child of a right wing Zionist mom, and a liberal formerly undocumented Mexican dad...They’re divorced.

Ben's currently developing his half-hour animated comedy, JESUS VERSUS ZEUS, with Sony, just wrapped STONED BREAKUPS, which he created and hosts, and is in post on his feature directorial debut, AMERICA’S NEXT TOP IMMIGRANT.

Ben’s also an alumnus of Sundance Screenwriters Intensive, Ryan Murphy’s HALF, NHMC TV Writers Workshop, Fox Writers Intensive, CBS Diversity Showcase, Project Involve, and a recipient of Will & Jada Smith's Family Foundation feature development grant for his project, BAR MITZVAH BOY. Ben’s also written/directed the award-winning short BETTAS ("Best LGBTQ Short," IFS LA Film Festival), and the Apollo Award nominated short, ALPHA; his comedy works DIET & EXERCISE, STONED BREAKUPS: DANIEL, and STONED BREAKUPS: BONNIE have also screened at fests.

Before coming out as a full-blown artist, Ben assisted the producers of DJANGO UNCHAINED, was a talent manager in Miami for telenovela stars, and a features exec for the Lionsgate-backed, 3Pas Studios. Now they’re an educator and filmmaker mentor with Edward James Olmos’ Latino Film Institute - Youth Cinema Project, and a charter member of the queer Latinx writers collective, The Clubhouse.