The sort of clear-eyed narrative focus normally found in Alex Gibney’s films’ (Scotsman)

Self-shooting documentary director Stephen Bennett has been working in television for 30 years, working on international prime time commissions for Storyville, BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, Discovery, Hearst Networks, History (USA), NHK (Japan), Sky and Stan. (Australia).

Nominated for an Orwell Prize in 2020, his films are distinguished by strong characters, hard-won access and an intimate, engaging shooting style. They consistently make Critics Choice in the tabloids and broadsheets whilst provoking strong reactions from audiences.

His films have changed Governmental policy (veterans with PTSD) and been used by institutions including THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT, SCOTTISH LAW SOCIETY, CHILDREN’S REPORTERS, SOCIAL WORK ENGLAND; GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL’S YOUTH JUSTICE TEAM; and NORTH LANARKSHIRE’S LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN PROGRAMME.

In 2021 he began working with TRAUMA AWARE LAWYERS, using his 2011 film WARRIORS: REVISITING THE BOYS OF BALLIKINRAIN documentary to bring trauma awareness to the Justice system. It has been screened at every Law School in Scotland.

Stephen has won three BAFTA Scotland awards, four Royal Television Society Awards, including for Best Director and three Celtic Media Torcs. In addition he won Best Feature Documentary at Belfast’s Human Rights festival.

His debut feature ‘Eminent Monsters’ was screened at United Nations Human Rights Council, in June 2019 and led to the first ever report on the global use of psychological torture by Member States and remains part of a campaign for non-coercive interrogation methods.

His Darren McGarvey’s Class Wars series was rated in a global twenty of Best TV of 2021 by the Guardian alongside landmark series such as It's a Sin and Line of Duty.

In 2022 he directed the feature documentary ‘War and Justice: The Case of Marine A’ for Channel 4, supported by Screen Scotland, about the first British soldier to be found guilty of murder on a foreign battlefield since World War II.

His third feature documentary, Keeping It Up: The Story of Viagra with Two Rivers Media for BBC Storyville, UK Global Screen Fund, Screen Scotland, BBC Wales and All3Media about the accidental discovery, launch and cultural impact of Viagra since it was launched 25 years ago.

He has just completed his fourth feature documentary, Tattooist’s Son: Journey to Auschwitz for Sky History, Hearst Networks, NBC Universal and Stan to mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz.