Meet Ben Li

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ben Li. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ben, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

As a filmmaker and artist, I have had a strong interest in art since I was a child. The environment and people I live in have a strong attraction to me, just like a newborn baby, I am curious and eager to explore everything. Such a character and habit allow me to draw inspiration and the source of creation from this world. Today, I like to visit museums and exhibitions. I like graphic art, sculpture, installation art, etc. The artworks created by the world have been visually cultivating my aesthetic and creative desires. I also like music, from classical music to pop music, from piano music to electronic music. The emotions given by music invisibly stimulate my perception and emotions. The rich melody always makes countless comedies and tragedies emerge in my mind. Whether it is painting or music, the precious wealth brought by these arts runs through human history and carries many wonderful stories, and these stories are very worthy of being told by current creators. I often pay attention to social news. It is said that life is an endless source of art. As human beings living in society, things are happening around us all the time, good, bad, complicated, and funny. Some things spread far, some are rarely known, some happen around us, and some happen on the other side of the earth. The social issues reflected in these stories always inspire me to express them through creation, especially those voices that are drowned out by mainstream society. Their existence is small but important.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My name is Ben Li, and my Chinese name is Xiangyu Li. I am an emerging film director and screenwriter.

I was born in 1997 in a small, unassuming town in Sichuan, China. From the age of five, I developed a clear passion for art. I would often draw the images in my mind with a pencil on the walls, which caused some trouble for my parents. However, they supported me wholeheartedly by enrolling me in a local training school to study painting and fine arts for ten years. During this time, I discovered that my interests extended beyond traditional painting to various art forms, including architecture, sculpture, music, and visual arts. Each of these quietly captured my attention in different corners of my life.

At 18, I began studying animation at the Communication University of China. Through four years of experience in animation production, I found a breakthrough to visualize the stories and sounds in my mind. I discovered that expression can be incredibly enjoyable and profoundly important. During this period, I took numerous film courses and watched many movies and animations. Driven by a strong desire to perform, I participated in several short films created by fellow students. In this environment, my understanding of filmmaking deepened significantly.

In 2019, I created my first animated short film, The Clothing, a courageous story about self-identity and marginalized communities. It explores the struggles people face when confronted with discrimination and exclusion, and how we can embrace and love ourselves correctly. To my delight, the film was selected for numerous international film festivals, winning four awards including Best Short Film and receiving seven nominations. It has garnered over 800,000 views online. I received many messages from strangers who excitedly shared how my work touched them and how significant it was to them. This inspired me to express that I have so much more to say, and my passion for film drove me to pursue a path in filmmaking.

In 2021, I crossed the Pacific Ocean to study film production at the Savannah College of Art and Design in the United States. I was aware of the greatness of the film industry and works produced in this land, and countless classic films have inspired and motivated me. Surrounded by excellent professors and classmates, I directed several live-action short films, including BARBARA, The Man by The Sea, and Aphrodite. Throughout the creation of these works, my original intention has remained unchanged: I hope to express and tell many difficult stories that have deeply moved me. Through my storytelling, I aspire to touch the audience in profound ways.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I believe my greatest strength is my imagination. While this might sound simplistic, imagination is truly essential for any artist in the world. As a filmmaker, the images in my mind shape how a project ultimately comes to life, I often describe my mind as a natural theater, where the story first unfolds before transforming into text on the page. These images are usually incredibly vivid, encompassing the actors’ appearances, performances, tones, costumes, props, lighting atmospheres, and colors—all vividly projected by my imagination. Therefore, I always say that by the time I start making a film, I’ve already watched it countless times in my mind. If I had to offer advice on enhancing imagination, I would suggest: watch more, listen more. These two elements form the core of cinema—sight and sound. As the “sight and sound” in your mind become clearer, your ability to control your work improves significantly.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Collaborating with talented individuals is always thrilling. I’ve been on the lookout for visionary producers and project initiators—those who possess unique insights into society and the world, who have important stories they wish to tell, and who, like me, are dedicated to expressing themselves through the medium of film. If you’re looking for a gifted director, please feel free to reach out via my email benliproductionoffice@gmail.com. I’d love to hear your story and explore the possibility of working together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://benlipictures.webflow.io/
• Instagram: benbenbenoh
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-li-a9a429271
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@benli2674

Image Credits

BTS photos are from my film production, taken by BTS photographer Gabriella Jones. Others are the movie stills from my short film called The Man by The Sea.