LETS FILM SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL MEMORABLE REAL HONEST POWERFUL ON FILM?

Ben Grace is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, director, editor and photographer based in Portsmouth, Hampshire, with a particular focus on the creative possibilities of analogue film.

Since 2019, Ben has dedicated much of his practice to shooting and working with Super 8, Double Super 8 and 16mm film. Through his company Camera Crate, he has become one of the leading practitioners in the analogue filmmaking space, providing cameras, lenses, film and technical expertise to filmmakers, production companies and major studios around the world. His work has supported productions and filmmakers working with companies including Netflix and Sony, alongside numerous BAFTA and Academy Award-winning creatives. His expertise and work in analogue filmmaking have been featured by the Wall Street Journal, Sky News and BBC South Today.

Ben maintains an extensive collection of professional and specialist cine equipment, including multiple Bolex cameras, Bolex EL models, a Canon Scoopic, Elmo 1012S-XL and a wide range of other Super 8 and 16mm cameras, lenses and accessories. His approach to analogue filmmaking is both practical and creative, with a particular interest in the distinctive textures, imperfections and visual character that make shooting on film so compelling.

His own filmmaking career spans narrative, documentary, commercial and arts-based work. In 2015, Ben was accepted into Creative England’s South West Talent Module, a BFI-funded development programme for emerging filmmakers. His short film After Party was subsequently acquired for distribution by CryptTV, the Los Angeles-based production and distribution company co-founded by Eli Roth and producer Jason Blum.

Ben’s short film Antelope, a mental health drama made in partnership with the NHS and filmed inside a secure Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit, received the Jury Prize at the 2017 Meglio Matti Che Corti international film competition in Italy.

His 2025 short film Lost & Found was filmed entirely on discontinued Kodak Plus-X film, creating a unique record of a stock that is no longer manufactured. The film premiered in Germany as part of the 48th annual Filmfest Weiterstadt.

Alongside his independent filmmaking, Ben has extensive experience creating films and visual content for organisations, businesses and cultural institutions. His clients include NHS Solent Trust, John Hansard Gallery, Mayflower Theatre, Skates.co.uk, Solent University and Community Roots. His commercial work spans promotional films, advertising, documentary, events and branded content.

Ben wrote and directed Clearwaste, a series of nationally transmitted television advertisements featuring Only Fools and Horses actor John Challis and The Inbetweeners star Emily Head. His corporate and commissioned work combines the same visual and storytelling approach as his independent filmmaking, with an emphasis on strong imagery, considered composition and authentic storytelling.

Ben is also an established photographer, working across both digital and analogue formats and available for commissions. He has particular experience within the arts and cultural sector, regularly photographing exhibitions, installations, artists and gallery spaces. His photography has included work commissioned directly by galleries and cultural organisations, where an understanding of both the artwork and the environment in which it is presented is essential.

Whether working with a 16mm Bolex, a Super 8 camera or a digital stills system, Ben’s practice is rooted in a fascination with images made by hand, on real film and in real spaces. His work brings together filmmaking, photography and technical expertise to create distinctive visual work for screen, advertising, culture and the arts.