Filmmaker

Benjamin is half of the filmmaking duo, Wagner Brothers.

He is currently in production on his second documentary feature, Friends & Neighbors alongside his brother, Christofer. The film addresses the current mental health crisis by “looking for the helpers” in post-pandemic America – people with insights, solutions and strategies to help heal the anxious and uncertain communities around them.

Friends & Neighbors was inspired by Benjamin's podcast of the same name in which he speak with CEOs, artists, authors and athletes about cultivating depth and simplicity in complex times.

Benjamin researched, wrote, voiced, scored, produced and co-directed the brother's 2012 PBS documentary, Mister Rogers & Me. The film explores the roots of TV icon Fred Rogers' values, unmasks the forces acting against depth and simplicity, and helps viewers develop the means to lead deeper, simpler lives.

The 80-minute feature premiered at The Nantucket Film Festival in 2010, and went on to screen at dozens of others, including The Heartland Film Festival (where it won a “Crystal Heart Award”), The Flagstaff Film Festival (where it claimed “Best Documentary Feature”), and The Paley Center For Media’s DocFest.

The film bowed on PBS in 2012 with a self-styled release campaign that included Paley Center screenings on both costs, plus luminous coverage in The New York Times, Washington Post, and more. The film aired thousands of times across the country, often as the cornerstone of pledge drives.

Mister Rogers & Me is available on PBS, Amazon Prime and Apple Movies, where it is rated 4.7/5 across hundreds of reviews.