Ben Wheatley

Biography

Benjamin Wheatley (born 7 May 1972) is an English filmmaker and screenwriter. Beginning his career in advertising, Wheatley first gained recognition and acclaim for his commercials and short films, before transitioning into feature films and television programs. 

He is best known for his work in the thriller and horror genres, with his films frequently incorporating heavy elements of black comedy and satire. His best-known works include the psychological horror films Kill List and A Field in England, the J. G. Ballard adaptation High-Rise and the action comedy Free Fire.

Wheatley has received numerous accolades for his work, including an Evening Standard British Film Award, five British Independent Film Award nominations, and numerous awards and honors from film festivals including South by Southwest, Karlovy Vary, Mar del Plata, Raindance, Toronto, and Cannes.

Wheatley was born in Billericay, Essex, England. He went to Haverstock School in North London and it was here during the sixth form that he met Amy Jump, who is now his wife and co-founder of the "Mr and Mrs Wheatley" blog. The couple has a son and lives in Brighton.

Initially a short filmmaker and animator, Wheatley moved his work to the internet and was a regular contributor to the b3ta message board. His clip cunning stunt, which shows his friend Rob Hill jumping over a car, has had over ten million views. The hundred or so short animations and games found on the "Mr. and Mrs. Wheatley" site were noticed by large media companies, and Wheatley's work expanded into mainstream media.

In 2006, Wheatley won a "Lion" award at the Cannes advertising festival for directing the AMBX viral, with The Viral Factory. In July 2006 he directed live-action sections of the TV series Modern Toss ("I live ere", "Alan", "Drive by Abuser", "Customer Services", "Accident and Emergency", "Citizens Advice", "Illegal Alphabet"), which was aired on Channel 4. 

Wheatley has also written and created clips for BBC Two's Time Trumpet and has appeared in and directed sketches for BBC Three's Comedy Shuffle. Between 2007 and 2009 Wheatley directed series two of Modern Toss and Ideal series five and six. In 2008, Wheatley co-created and directed the sketch series The Wrong Door for BBC Three.