Benjamin Cantu is a German-Hungarian film and television director, author, producer, showrunner, and casting director. He studied animation at the Film University Babelsberg and directing at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (dffb), graduating in 2010 with the hybrid feature STADT LAND FLUSS (HARVEST). The film premiered at the 61st Berlinale (Generation 14Plus), won the Teddy Reader's Award, and was released in Germany, USA, Poland, and France.

After graduation, he teamed up with producers Nils Bökamp and Felix Kriegsheim on multiple projects, such as THE WORLD BELONGS TO CHAIM (ZDF/3sat), winner of the Axel Springer Prize for Young Journalists, and THE BERLIN PATIENT (RBB/Arte), awarded the German AIDS Foundation’s Media Prize. 

From 2016 to 2019, he worked with Lupa Film, led by Felix von Boehm, as a creative producer in development and financing, contributing to projects like THF – CENTRAL AIRPORT by Karim  Aïnouz (Berlinale Panorama, 2018) and LIBERTÉ by Albert Serra (Cannes, Un Certain Regard, 2019).

In 2020–21, Cantu served as showrunner for Netflix's acclaimed true crime series DIG DEEPER – THE DISAPPEARANCE OF BIRGIT MAYER, followed by his own Netflix Original as writer and director, the historical docu-drama ELDORADO – EVERYTHING THE NAZIS HATE, which was shortlisted for the British Grierson Award and the GLAAD Media Award.

Together with actress and casting director, Hermina Fátyol, Cantu co-founded Metanoia Casting in Budapest, working on international cinema projects including Ruben Östlund’s THE ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM IS DOWN and Ann Oren’s PIAFFEand OBJET A.

2021, Cantu co-founded The Thursday Company with Bökamp and Kriegsheim, and is a fellow of Torino FilmLab, EAVE Producers Workshop, the Salzburg Global LGBT* Forum, and a member of Queer Media Society Germany.

In 2025, he joins the second edition of Torino FilmLab’s SeriesLab as Story Editor and serves on the development jury of the German Federal Film Board.

PORTFOLIO

2025   LOVE SCAM
Sky Studios | Doc 90’
Co-Director, Creative Producer | The Thursday Company

2024    ZEIT VERBRECHEN - SPURENSUCHE
Paramount+, RTL+ | Doc Series 4 x 30’
Writer, Director | X Filme

2023   ELDORADO - EVERYTHING THE NAZIS HATE
Netflix Original | Feature Documentary 92’
Writer, Director, Executive Producer | The Thursday Company
Shortlisted for the Grierson Award and GLAAD Media Award

2021   DIG DEEPER - THE DISAPPEARANCE OF  BIRGIT MEIER
Netflix Original | True Crime Series 4 x 56’
Showrunner | Netflix Studios

2020   #HEUL DOCH - THERAPIE WIE NOCH NIE
ZDF/Arte | Comedy Series 5x15’
Creative Producer | Lupa Film

2020   EINFACH LEBEN!
WDR/SWR/Arte | Doc Series 3 x 45’
Creative Producer | Boekamp & Kriegsheim

2018   CENTRAL AIRPORT THF
Feature Documentary by  Karim Aïnouz | rbb/Arte
Creative Producer | Lupa Film
Festivals: Berlinale Panorama 2018

2018   JUST PUSH ABUBA
ZDF | Sitcom 6x10’
Director, Creative Producer | Lupa Film

2016   BECAUSE OF WHO I AM
rbb/Arte | Feature Documentary 80’
Co-Writer, Co-Director, Executive Producer | Boekamp & Kriegsheim

2014 - 2016   SCITECH - OUR WORLD TOMORROW
ONTV (Egypt), Oman TV (Oman) | TV Show 24 x 30’ (2 seasons)
Commissioning Editor, Director | Boekamp & Kriegsheim | Auswärtiges Amt

2013   THE BERLIN PATIENT
rbb/Arte | Doc 52’
Writer, Co-Director, Executive Producer | Boekamp & Kriegsheim
Awards: Medienpreis der Deutschen AIDS-Stiftung

2011   STADT LAND FLUSS (HARVEST)
Feature 84’
Writer, Director | Edition Salzgeber
Festivals: 61. Berlinale Generation, Viennale, OUT Fest, Frameline, TLV Fest, Mix Brazil | Awards: Teddy Readers' Award, Best Feature Side by Side LGBTQ Film Festival - Бок о Бок

2011   DIE ANGST VOR DEN ANDEREN
ZDF/Arte | Doc 30’
Writer, Director, Editor | Boekamp & Kriegsheim

2010   STREETART - THE EPHEMERAL REBELLION
ZDF/Arte | Doc 52’
Writer, Co-Director | Boekamp & Kriegsheim
Festivals: Crossing Europe, Dokfilmfest Leipzig

2007   FREMDE KINDER: SOLLY’S TRACK
ZDF/3sat | Doc 30’
Writer, Director, DP | Boekamp & Kriegsheim

2006   FREMDE KINDER: DIE WELT GEHÖRT CHAIM
ZDF/3sat | Doc 30’
Writer, Director | Boekamp & Kriegsheim
Awards: Axel-Springer-Preis für junge Journalisten 2007