Biography

Forgotten Breath (1997). Hailed by the Wisconsin State Journal as "a gritty tale of Generation X," Forgotten Breath screened along side Boogie Nights and Starship Troopers in December of 1997.

None Left Standing (2003) is an urban drama with slight satirical accents that uses its fanatical movie-driven teen characters to exploit the hypocrisy of modern pop-culture. Benavides negotiated a release in AMC Mesa Grand Theatres and None Left Standing sold 1,632 tickets. It earned the Aegis Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Film & Video Production" in addition to a worldwide distribution deal from Maxim Media.

To Charlie, with Love (2005). This 35mm film is the story of "Charlie"; who decides the desert is a perfect place to abandon his younger burdensome brother. The film earned an official selection nod in several film festivals including the 39th Annual International Houston Film Festival, where it was awarded the "Bronze Remi" in the "Dramatic Short Film" category.

The Order (2007). Produced for competition in Fox Television's ON THE LOT Benavides submitted this exploration of a dismal and demoralized future. The Order" was the most viewed among FOX'S website followers out of hundreds of other films with over 200 thousand individual views.

Mansfield Path (2009). After raising $100,000, Sam executed a seven-day shooting schedule for this 16mm science fiction film. The film has gained a worldwide audience through it's many accomplishments including its HBO's 10th Annual New York International Latino Film Festival screening, a BEST DIRECTOR award, BEST COSTUMES and BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS nomination by the Action on Film International Film Festival, BEST SCI-FI FEATURE at the Cinema City International Film Festival and as of Sept of 2011 enjoyed a worldwide television release on Shorts TV, which includes 3 million subscribers in the USA and hundreds of thousands more in Germany, England, New Zealand and France.

In November of 2010 Sam Benavides was tapped to helm the crime/thriller suspense "Phantom Senses". This marked the first $1Million production attachment of Benavides' career. Early in 2011 Sam Benavides was hired by the Hollywood Global Initiative to co-write and direct a short film geared towards showcasing global, undiscovered talent.

The Unborn (2011) During the pre-production phase of this ambitious initiative, Sam was introduced to Serita Stevens, a 32 time published novelist and screenwriter who was in need of a director and producer for her 12 page short version of "The Unborn" - a feature in development. Benavides directed and produced the short horror film in August of 2011.
- IMDb mini biography by: Deborah Hayter; Publicist