Author Ben Lei

Ben Lei

Senior Contributor

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.

Film Review: Park Chan-wook’s ‘No Other Choice’ and the Quiet Terror of Being Disposable

Anchored by a layered, quietly devastating turn from Lee Byung Hun, “No Other Choice” transforms labor anxiety into dark comedy. Park Chan-wook finally aligns his comic intent with reception, delivering a film that feels uncomfortably close to modern life.

Sara Bareilles on How Her Own Grief Shaped the Key Track for ‘Come See Me in the Good Light’

Sara Bareilles, the perfect artist for "Come See Me in the Good Light," discusses how she went "full bore headfirst" into personal grief. She co-wrote the song "Salt and Sour, Then Sweet" to leave audiences "broken open" by life's profound paradox.

Los Angeles Premiere: ‘No Other Choice’ Brings Park Chan-wook and Lee Byung Hun to the Academy Museum

Fresh off major awards recognition, “No Other Choice” made its Los Angeles premiere at the Academy Museum, with Park Chan-wook and Lee Byung Hun in attendance for NEON’s celebration of the film’s growing global impact.

Rhea Seehorn on the Deductive Art of Character: Unlocking the Nuance of Carol in Apple TV+’s ‘Pluribus’

Rhea Seehorn, the center of Vince Gilligan’s "Pluribus," discusses the series' unique psychological demands. She views the solo performance as a "one-person play," revealing how the show's layered sci-fi themes force her character to confront isolation and the very nature of human connection.

Beyond Remission: Alex Dvorak’s ‘Bad Survivor’ Confronts Post-Treatment Reality

"Bad Survivor" challenges the sanitized narrative of cancer recovery, focusing on the abrupt psychological reckoning after treatment ends. Alex Dvorak created the film to express the unprocessed trauma, survivor’s guilt, and anxiety that often erupt when the medical team declares the patient "cured."

Review: Why Netflix’s ‘The Beast in Me’ is Unsettling, Must-Watch Prestige Television

"The Beast in Me" is the caliber of high-wire psychological thriller that dominates the limited series Emmy contention. Oversized by Showrunner Howard Gordon, the show is a masterclass in toxic character study, anchored by Matthew Rhys’s terrifying turn and Claire Danes’s emotionally raw performance, proving elite acting triumphs over plot manipulation.

How Mari Yamamoto Found Healing in Hikari’s New Film ‘Rental Family’

Rental Family” is one of 2025’s most tender surprises, led by a deeply felt performance from Mari Yamamoto. In conversation with Awards Focus, Yamamoto discusses grief, cultural nuance, and the quiet strength of Aiko—revealing how compassion, identity, and connection shape Hikari’s moving new drama.

Adolpho Veloso’s Visual Approach That Makes ‘Train Dreams’ an Oscars Contender

The film "Train Dreams," directed by Clint Bentley and based on the beloved novella by Denis Johnson, is a profoundly moving portrait of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), an everyman logger whose life unfolds a... Read More...

2025 Astra Creative Arts Awards: ‘Sinners,’ ‘Wicked: For Good’ and ‘Frankenstein’ Lead Film Nominations; ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Severance’ Top TV

ChatGPT said: The Hollywood Creative Alliance has announced the nominees for the 2025 Astra Creative Arts Awards, honoring the artisans behind film and television’s most exceptional work. Leading the film nominees are Sinners, Wicked: For Good, and Frankenstein, while Stranger Things and Severance top the list of acclaimed television contenders.

Ali Ahn on Finding Belonging Through ‘The Diplomat’ and Beyond

Ali Ahn discusses Season 3 of “The Diplomat,” exploring Eidra Park’s most vulnerable chapter yet and the balance between power and fragility. Fresh off her Critics Choice honor, Ahn reflects on representation, belonging, and the quiet confidence it takes to be seen in an industry still learning to listen.