Ben Bishop: The accidental cowboy filmmaker

Ilse sits down with filmmaker and multi-hyphenate Ben Bishop (Dogwood, Hold Your Horses, Hamster in My Head) for a conversation that’s equal parts filmmaking pep talk and comedy hour. They talk about growing up in Arkansas, writing without film school, and why creative people need to stop waiting for permission and just make the weird thing.

Between talk of cowboy hats, HGTV obsessions, and the occasional haunted hamster, Ben shares how curiosity—not credentials—built his career. From building sets with his dad to writing features with friends, his story is proof that the best projects start when you stop asking “how” and just start.

Follow Ben on IG @_benbishop, check out Hamster in My Head premiering Dec 3 at The Davis Theater, and keep an eye out for Dogwood—where cowboys, kindness, and grit still ride tall.

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