Conversations with Quinnolyn Benson-Yates

Today we’d like to introduce you to Quinnolyn Benson-Yates.

Hi Quinnolyn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
<span style=”white-space:pre”> </span>I’m a filmmaker now, but my creative journey started long before that, at eight years old when I became the lead singer for a punk rock band in Oakland, California. I would scream into the mic, fighting to be heard above two drummers and a keyboardist. Imagine a four-foot-tall blonde girl waving her fist, and behind her are three grown men with long hair just absolutely rocking out. I wrote songs about hula hooping, going to Alaska (though I’ve still never been), dragons, and pink polka dots. My bandmates were Mark, Leif, and my dad John. We toured LA and Oregon, released two albums, and put on the most epic show experience we could with werewolf cutouts to rush the crowd, fog machines, flying pink polka-dots, bubble machines, free cookies, and of course, hula hoops. We disbanded when I was twelve, but that experience was such a creative high that I’ve been chasing it ever since, trying to get back to that same feeling of exhilaration, of creating with people who fully believed in a united vision, and performing for a community that whole heartedly accepted me despite my age. When I was younger that world felt like my baseline normal world, and it’s only now from the outside looking back at it, can I truly recognize how important that punk community and my bandmates were for shaping who I am today. I’m no longer in a band, but I’ve continued ever since to dig deeper into the creative trenches within my soul. Filmmaking became my biggest creative trench. I never thought of filmmaking as an accessible art form – it felt too expensive, too large scale for me to do well, or at all. But when I was nineteen, my dad took me to an underground film screening where we saw a short film featuring a man in a yellow raincoat dragging a large cake around on a string, then smashing it into a record player. It was brilliant because I thought, “Well, I can make something better than that, surely.” And that moment changed everything for me. It’s easy to be intimidated by great art and feel discouraged, but it’s just as important to watch what I call “accessible” art, because I could picture myself making something like it, and in that moment and for the first time, filmmaking felt achievable; no longer scary or something completely out of reach.
So I started working on student film sets my second year at UC Santa Barbara, and the following year I pitched my way into becoming a writer/director for the department’s top production class. I loved it. Filmmaking felt as collaborative as a rock band, sometimes just as chaotic, and definitely more challenging. But alongside my collaborators I discovered joy, deep friendships born out of respect and mutual drive, with a dash of that shared obsessive flavor to keep us going, to keep improving.
After graduating from UCSB with seven student films, I was lucky enough to get hired by Red Wrap Productions to write, direct, and produce what eventually became the feature documentary film EPIC BILL. The film follows the life of extreme endurance athlete Bill Bradley, and his journey from a multi-million dollar bankruptcy to breaking a Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim world record and running a Quadruple Badwater, among many other extreme physical challenges.
We started filming with Bill in fall of 2018, flying out to Minnesota to film in negative fifty degree weather during the Arrowhead 135 ultra race, then to Argentina to trek up Mt. Aconcagua. It was extremely adventurous, and a mammoth task for a four person film crew, all in our early twenties. Luckily, my mentor and Executive Producer Leslie believed in our process every step of the way. With her support and our determination through post production during COVID, we transformed over 500 hours of footage into a tight 56 minute film. EPIC BILL is now available to watch on Amazon and Apple TV!
After wrapping up the feature in 2022, I wanted to dive into narrative filmmaking again, and I moved to LA to pursue my MFA in Film and Television Production at USC. There, I met incredibly talented peers and inspiring mentors, and I crewed on as many film sets as I possibly could, quickly building my confidence and knowledge of the craft. Three years later, and a long story cut very short, I graduated from USC with a stack of stories: three feature film scripts, a TV pilot, and numerous produced short films I’ve written, directed, produced, or shot as the cinematographer. It’s truly been all the wonderful collaborations and wild adventures that keep me coming back to filmmaking, and I feel more invigorated and purposeful than ever!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
<span style=”white-space:pre”> </span>Anything worth doing will have plenty of ups and downs, or unexpected setbacks. I’ve had pitch rejections, and collaborations that hit some bumps. USC’s curriculum encourages you to work with as many people as possible, so it’s a great way to learn about your own collaborative style, and what fits best for you. I learned a lot about my own communication style, managing expectations, how important sleep is, the upsides of rejection, and frankly how to keep that creative flame lit amid everything else. I’ve also had to learn that it’s critical to remember to have a healthy life outside of filmmaking. Ultimately stories come from living life, and I am more than just what I produce. <span style=”white-space:pre”> </span>Thankfully there hasn’t been any lasting physical harm in any of my projects (no frostbite, although we did have a bout of altitude sickness on the mountain trek!). If things get tough, or I hit a bad spot of writer’s block, I try to remind myself that this all started because someone took a camcorder and filmed themselves smashing a cake into a record player. So, ultimately, just remember that it’s okay to make something silly once in a while – you never know who or what you might inspire.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
<span style=”white-space:pre”> </span>I’m a filmmaker who works as a writer, director, producer, and cinematographer, and most of all, I thrive on storytelling and collaboration. I mentioned my documentary EPIC BILL, available on Amazon and Apple TV. My most recent feature film script is a coming of age story about a young girl in a punk rock band, learning the joys and heartbreak of creative collaborations with her father and best friend. I’ve also had a few other narrative film highlights over the past years that I’m proud of. My short film MISS RIVERS won the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s 10-10-10 Filmmaking Competition, screened at several more festivals, and streamed on Revry. <span style=”white-space:pre”> </span>During my time at USC, I was honored as a Town and Gown Scholar and received both the James Bridges Endowed Scholarship and the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation Endowment. I served as Head Writer and Producer for the student-led dramatic television series TOP VOICES, where I had to quickly learn to match the pace and rigor of television production. I also challenged myself in terms of project scope when I produced Arman Khaghani’s thesis film BREATHE, BROTHER, BREATHE, and I’m thrilled with my collaboration on set as cinematographer for Tyler Coon’s thesis film I LOVE YOU MORE THAN DINOSAURS, and Timothy Fei’s thesis HOME. I look forward to the films’ festival runs in 2026 and I’m extremely proud of the work and relationships I’ve fostered throughout all the projects I’ve been part of.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
<span style=”white-space:pre”> </span>I’m happy to announce that my latest short film, MAN, just screened at Austin Film Festival! It’s a genre-bending Western Comedy about a sheriff who arm wrestles opponents for the right to keep his badge, until reality starts glitching out around him. We filmed it on the LED Volume Wall – pretty cool to work with! Beyond that, I’m continuing to write and develop my first narrative feature film, discovering new solitaire games, inventing soup recipes, and feeding the neighborhood opossums. Stay tuned for more adventures!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.quinnolyn.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quinnolyn/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinnolyn-benson-yates-8a1aaa80/

Image Credits
Mark Sanchez, Sebastian Millan, Arman Khaghani, Natalie Jenq, Arron Kesler, Epic Bill – Quinnolyn Benson-Yates, Red Wrap Productions, Elisa Smith