BENJAMIN SEHAT

Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I’m based in France.

How did you discover The Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards and how did you decide to enter this contest among all the others?
I discovered Palm Springs through industry circles. I previously entered the screenplay for White Camel and was fortunate to win, so I already knew this is a contest that values cinematic storytelling. I also appreciated how supportive the judges and analysts were- their feedback was thoughtful and genuinely helped me strengthen the work.

Your script or media entry stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your project?
White Camel is inspired by the tension between science and belief, set against the lived conflicts of the Middle East. For me, the desert is more than a landscape-it mirrors the human soul: merciless, silent, and capable of revelation, where the deepest and oldest wounds can finally be confronted and healed. At its core, it’s a survival romance driven by a moral engine: a miraculous biological discovery becomes a target for exploitation, and the only way to protect it is to cross a hostile desert-and be transformed by the journey.

How long did it take you to write your script or produce your pitch deck/sizzle reel/trailer...and what was your development process?
I began building the pitch deck once I had a professional first draft of the White Camel screenplay. Creating the deck didn’t just “present” the story-it deepened it. I developed the screenplay and the deck in parallel, alternating between rewrites and deck revisions so that each version clarified the tone, character arcs, and cinematic promise.

What is your ultimate ambition as a writer or filmmaker?
To build a body of work that is both cinematic and meaningful-high-concept stories with real emotional consequence. Ultimately, I want to create films and series that travel globally, blending thriller momentum with spiritual and human depth-stories that entertain, but also heal.

Which film directors or screenwriters inspire you? Why?
I’m inspired by filmmakers who combine strong structure with atmosphere and soul: Denis Villeneuve - precision, restraint, visual intelligence
Christopher Nolan - high-stakes structure and big ideas
Ridley Scott - worldbuilding, realism, visual authority
James Cameron - scale, propulsion, and emotionally clear storytelling

What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
One all-time favorite is Lawrence of Arabia-the gold standard for desert scale, mythic character, and psychological transformation. I also love epics driven by courage and freedom, like Braveheart, with its raw spirit of defiance and the true cost of resistance. I’m also drawn to character-driven “cool” and urban mythmaking-gangster cinema like King of New York and American Gangster for the tone, power, and moral decay. And on the lighter side, I admire comedy with real craft: Steve Martin represents a rare intelligence in comedic timing that still feels timeless.
My comfort viewing is intentionally diverse:
Friends for rhythm, character chemistry, and timeless comedic structure
Star Trek for moral philosophy, humanism, and future-facing optimism
Star Wars (films and series) for mythic storytelling, archetypes, and worldbuilding
Heat, Split for tension, performance, and the mechanics of suspense

How do you approach competition entries, and what have you learned from participating in these contests?
I approach competitions like product launches:
Submit only when the material is clean, focused, and emotionally legible
Prioritize clarity over complexity.
Make sure the first pages lands.
I’ve learned that when a story truly reads like a movie-and the characters feel inevitable-it cuts through.

What advice do you have for others hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Simplify the engine: one clear central dilemma and escalating consequences. Make the protagonist’s transformation undeniable-visible, painful, earned. Polish relentlessly: weak formatting, vague stakes, or slow openings cost placements fast. I believe it’s more admirable to be a great rewriter than a great writer. Put your full heart on the page, then let trusted feedback guide the rewrites until the story becomes undeniable.

What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I’ve developed several award-winning story worlds across film, books, and series- spanning survival drama, sci-fi, thriller, action, and mythic-historical fantasy. I’m building a slate of projects designed to be both cinematic and internationally accessible.

Where can the world find you?
Website: benjaminhsehat.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/benjaminhsehat
X: x.com/BenjaminHSehat
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-s-9819125b