ABOUT
BENJAMIN HAYS
I am a theater student at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. At UCLA, I also pursue filmmaking and music.
I am most inspired when acting and creating film and music projects. My short films have been recognized at both national and international student film festivals, including the All American High School Film Festival, Open Mind Festival, Friends of Semel Institute (UCLA), Teen Truth Film Festival, and the Seattle Film Festival. In 2024, I was the winner of the Poetry Out Loud competition, representing Los Angeles County. Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation competition in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Additionally, I was awarded a Silver Key for my short film, "I Am", from the national competition held by Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Alliance for Young Writers & Artists. I am also the recipient of UCLA's Theater, Film and Television Executive Board Scholarship.
This past summer, I trained through the British American Drama Academy (BADA) at the Midsummer in Oxford Programme at Oxford University in association with the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University.
I strive to develop and grow as a performer, and continue to work closely with creative collaborators and peers who share my passion for performance, film and music.
