Ben Lei is a senior entertainment journalist at Awards Focus, where he covers the artists and craftspeople shaping today’s film and television landscape. His reporting places a particular emphasis on multicultural representation, with a focus on elevating underrepresented voices both in front of and behind the camera.
Over the course of his career, Ben has interviewed Academy Award and Emmy Award winners and nominees across all facets of production—from actors and directors to editors, composers, and production designers—offering readers a deeper understanding of the creative decisions behind some of the year’s most acclaimed projects. His coverage spans major premieres, film festivals, and awards ceremonies, where he has become known for thoughtful, craft-driven interviews that resonate with both industry insiders and general audiences.
In addition to his work at Awards Focus, Ben is the founder and co-host of United By Rice, a media platform and podcast dedicated to celebrating AANHPI storytellers and exploring the cultural impact of Asian American voices in entertainment. Through his journalism and original programming, he remains committed to documenting the evolving creative landscape while helping ensure that more inclusive stories are seen, heard, and remembered.
Emi/Emmett Yonemura, who directed several episodes of the first season including the penultimate Episode 5, “Remember It”, spoke to Award Focus about her work on the series.
There’s a moment in Sean Wang’s "Dìdi" that stopped me cold: Chris Wang, a Taiwanese American teen in Fremont, California, quietly questioning where he fits—torn between the comfort of his Asian friends and th... Read More...
Awards Focus had the opportunity to talk to Jee Young Han, upgraded to a full cast member for Season 2, about how her character, Esti Nelson, evolves in her second season, the joys of working with acting legends Delroy Lindo and Kerry Washington, and why getting to tell her the stories in ‘Unprisoned’ is so important.
Some films demand your attention with spectacle. "Sing Sing" earns it with honesty.
Directed by Greg Kwedar ("Transpecos") and distributed by A24, "Sing Sing" is based on the real-life arts rehabilitation p... Read More...
In a star making role, Maya Erskine plays the titular character Jane Smith, opposite Donald Glover in Amazon Prime’s “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” reimagining of the 2005 film that created the “Brangelina” pop culture ... Read More...
With an impressive array of credits spanning Broadway, television, and film, including standout roles in the Broadway productions of "Rent" and "Wicked," Eden Espinosa has consistently mesmerized audiences wit... Read More...
FX’s "Shōgun" has captivated both critics and audiences with its richly detailed portrayal of complex characters in feudal Japan. Actors Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai and Cosmo Jarvis lead the ensemble drama ser... Read More...