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Ben Addelman

b. 1950

Canadian filmmaker

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About Ben Addelman

Born 1950. Ben Addelman is a cinematographer, film director and screenwriter.

Ben Addelman is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, and is a director of: Discordia, Bombay Calling, Nollywood Babylon, Kivalina vs. Exxon, and Plastic People.

Career His first film Discordia (2004) follows three students during the aftermath of the Netanyahu Incident at Concordia University in Montreal in 2002, co-directed with Samir Mallal and produced by Adam Symansky from the National Film Board of Canada.

His second film, Bombay Calling (2006), follows the lives of telemarketers working outsourced jobs in a call center in Bombay (Mumbai), India, co-directed with Samir Mallal and produced by Adam Symansky from the National Film Board of Canada.

His third film, Nollywood Babylon (2008) is a documentary about the popularity of Nigerian movies, with co-director Samir Mallal, co-produced with the National Film Board of Canada in association with the Canadian TV channel documentary Channel.

His fourth film, Kivalina v. Exxon (2011), follows the efforts of a small town in Alaska in a lawsuit against the oil and gas industries for climate change-related damages.

His fifth film, Plastic People (2024), investigates the threat of microplastics in human bodies and our addiction to plastic. He and co-director Ziya Tong won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Direction in a Documentary Program at the 13th Canadian Screen Awards in 2025.

He has directed documentary television for Vice, Disney+ and BBC, and in 2020, co-directed episodes of Becoming You for Apple TV+.

Awards In 2009, the film Nollywood Babylon screened in the World Cinema Documentary section at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. In 2011, the film Kivalina V. Exxon won Best Documentary at the Whistler Film Festival.

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Important facts

Born
1950
Birth century
Education
Concordia University

People in Ben Addelman's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Ben Addelman's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ben Addelman?

Canadian filmmaker

When was Ben Addelman born?

Ben Addelman was born in 1950.

What is Ben Addelman's occupation?

Ben Addelman is a cinematographer, film director and screenwriter.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Ben Addelman

· Wikidata: Q4885194

· DBpedia: Ben Addelman

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ben Addelman. https://biography.guide/ben-addelman/

MLA: "Ben Addelman." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ben-addelman/.

Chicago: "Ben Addelman." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ben-addelman/.

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