Joshua Safdie and Benjamin Safdie are American independent filmmakers based in New York City, who frequently collaborate on their films. They are best known for writing and directing the 2017 filmGood Time and the 2019 film Uncut Gems. In addition to writing and directing, both Josh and Benny serve in a variety of key positions including acting, editing, shooting, mixing sound, and producing their films. They have also frequently collaborated with Ronald Bronstein, who has co-written and edited all of their narrative features beginning with the 2009 filmDaddy Longlegs. Other recurring collaborators include composer Oneohtrix Point Never and cinematographer Sean Price Williams.
Early life
The Safdie brothers were raised in New York, the children of Amy and Alberto Safdie. They spent their childhood living between their father in Queens and their mother and stepfather in Manhattan. The Safdie brothers are Jewish. Their father, who is of Sephardic Jewish of Syrian-Jewish and Lebanese-Jewish descent, was raised in France and Italy. Their mother is of Russian-Jewish descent. They began making films at a young age, inspired by their film-enthusiast father, Alberto. They graduated from Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School in Manhattan. At Boston University, they co-founded the creative collective Red Bucket Films with Alex Kalman, Sam Lisenco, Brett Jutkiewicz, and Zachary Treitz. Josh and Benny Safdie graduated from Boston University College of Communication in 2007 and 2008, respectively. They claim "turmoil of their youth", as children of divorced parents, became an inspiration for later work. Famed Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie is their great uncle, and they are also related to his son, playwright Oren Safdie.
The Safdies directed the 2017 crime film Good Time, starring Robert Pattinson and Ben Safdie as siblings. The film was selected to compete for Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.
''Uncut Gems''
The Safdies directed Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler, with Martin Scorsese serving as an executive producer. The film was inspired by their father's time working in the Manhattan Diamond District. It had its world premiere at the 2019 Telluride Film Festival. Theatrically released in the United States in 2019, it received critical acclaim and became one of A24's highest-grossing releases.
Future projects
In December 2017, The Hollywood Reporter announced that The Safdies will helm the 48 Hrs. remake with the script being written by Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein, and Jerrod Carmichael. In December 2019, The Safdies elaborated in an interview with The A.V. Club, saying the film was still being made but it would no longer be a remake. Their script would instead be "re-shifted into something original." In February 2020, Showtime ordered a pilot for The Curse, a parody of HGTV starring Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie. Fielder is set to co-write the show with The Safdies, and both brothers are to co-direct.
