TSPDT

Key Production Country: USA
Key Genres: Drama, Crime, Comedy, Psychological Thriller, Dark Comedy, Sport
Key Collaborators: Ronald Bronstein (Screenwriter/Editor), Sam Lisenco (Production Designer), Sebastian Bear-McClard (Producer), Buddy Duress (Leading Actor), Oscar Boyson (Producer), Sean Price Williams (Cinematographer), Necro (Leading Character Actor), Daniel Lopatin (Composer), Paul Grimstad (Composer), Eleonore Hendricks (Character Actress)

"Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie first emerged as a filmmaking force back in 2009 with the incredible parental drama Daddy Longlegs and have since gone on to produce some of this century’s most vibrant works. From Good Time with Robert Pattinson to Uncut Gems starring an unrecognizable Adam Sandler, the Safdies have made a name for themselves as frenetic storytellers, taking on gritty subjects with humanity and cinematic verve." - Calum Russell (Collider, 2025)

"Born and raised in the epicentre of American independent film, New York City, the Safdie brothers – Benny and Josh – are the most exciting sibling duo of filmmakers working in cinema today. Steeped in shades of the artform’s hallowed past and coloured by their personal stories and inspirations, their cinema is animated by the restless character of the city that, in the Safdie brothers’ world, never, ever sleeps." - Nick Bugeja (ACMI, 2022)

"Few filmmakers embody the spirit of independent filmmaking better than Josh and Benny Safdie. The two brothers spent the first decade of their career making short films in New York City with nonexistent budgets, refusing to compromise their signature style in pursuit of more commercial opportunities. They eventually found a bit of success with the 2009 feature Daddy Longlegs… The Safdie Brothers have clearly followed in the footsteps of great New York filmmakers like Scorsese and John Cassavetes." - Christian Zilko (IndieWire, 2023)

"The Safdie Brothers, a maverick pair of filmmaking siblings, who have used their intrinsic New York charm to penetrate the film industry. Their anxiety-inducing, neo-realist depictions of characters existing inside the very city that raised them, are as equally enticing as they are repellent. Through a nearly devout commitment to capturing realism, the Safdies puppeteer our emotions, perversely infatuating us with their sordid cinematic realities; once held in the vice-like grip of their vagrant characters, we are unable and unwilling to escape. With neurotic wit and unbridled energy, the Safdies focus on self-serving protagonists who exist inside a hell of their own creation—managing to frame each self-centred individual in a way that makes us care deeply for each of them, without straying too far into overly sympathetic territory. Although their films may feel chaotic, Josh and Benny’s presence looms large over each production: by taking up roles in directing, acting, sound, writing and editing, they are able to smear their fingerprints over every frame." - Leoni Horton (The Film Magazine (2020)

"Josh and Benny Safdie, commonly referred to as the Safdie Brothers, are a different breed entirely amongst the modern independent filmmakers of today. Bonafide New Yorkers, the brothers seem to know every nook and cranny of their city intricately well. This knowledge integrates itself exceptionally well through their films, both short and feature-length, as the characters depicted frantically race around places audiences never seem to go to in films shot in New York. Raised by divorced parents in both Queens and Manhattan, the brothers both attended film school at Boston University before they formed a small filmmaking collective by the name of Red Bucket Films." - Haley Goetz (Filmic, 2018)

"I don’t think physics and storytelling are that far apart. When you look at the universe in general, you always want an explanation of something because that’s how you understand it. But we need to grapple with things we can’t understand, that’s just part of human existence." - Benny Safdie (AnOther Magazine (2024)

"An underdog is always a winner, in my opinion. That’s who I’m rooting for, that’s why I’m interested in sports. I only root for the underdogs. Only. When we were kids, our dad would show us a lot of movies and he would always tell us that he was this character. They were always underdogs, they were always up against the world, and they always figured out a way. If not complete victory, somewhat of a victory – they got close to it and getting close to it is pretty good. I’m always inspired by it. I relate to these characters." - Josh Safdie