THE STUDIO
Ben and Brian met at a coffee shop and soon after began working on film projects together which have collected multiple international awards. This became Fielder Films, founded in Oceanside, California.
BEN WEILAND
IG: @benweiland
Ben is a multi-award winning filmmaker specializing in documentary, adventure, and commercial work. He is the director for ‘Island X’ which toured internationally, and the director of photography for the film ‘Under An Arctic Sky’ which was featured in the Tribeca Film Festival 2017. He runs the production company Fielder Films with Brian Davis. He is also an artist and illustrator.
BRIAN “BOBCAT” DAVIS
IG: @bobcatdavis
Brian Davis is a filmmaker with a draw for telling adventurous and inspiring stories. He picked up his parents home video camera at age 11, and the seed was sown. He feels like collaboration as a filmmaker is unlike any other artistic medium, “A film project can bring together so many creatives to collaborate in harmony and the results are truly inspiring.” Recent films he’s worked on include “The Forgotten Coast” with Chris Burkard, “Island X” an original film alongside co- collaborator Ben Weiland. The two recently finished a film project together titled “The Search for Volcano Island.”
PODCASTS
SEAGER STORYTIME - Ep 27
Ben sat down with Seager to chat about his directing and cinematographer that has built a career off exploring some of the most remote cold water surfing locations in the world. On this episode they talk about some of the most remote places he's been, his love for different creative mediums, and the story behind his film "Island X".
YOU ARE A BIG DEAL DEAL - Ep 81
We chat with Brian Davis: filmmaking and documentary realm / passion about human stories and connection / understanding how story is passed on / knowing that he is made to be doing what he is doing; an extension of who he is / capturing the hard and beautiful moments and allowing the emotions that come with them
SURF SPLENDOR - Ep 36
Ben Weiland holds three awards from the nine years we’ve run festivals. Island X won Best Surf Movie – Feature for 2022. Here’s a chat with one of our favorite people on earth, and a man who knows how to shoot a story and tell one. Being a good guest in a foreign country has its limits, but Ben muscled through some Faroe Island aged beef for your listening pleasure.
DREAM JOB - Ep 31
Does your dream job include traveling to some of the coldest and most unforgiving places on earth? For the past decade, Ben has been circling the globe looking for the most epic (and out of the way) waves on the planet. And through all of his success, Ben has stayed humble, grateful, hungry, and really REALLY chill. We loved our conversation with him. We think you will as well.
ARTICLES
TOP 5 COLDEST SESSIONS
It takes certain characteristics for someone to fly around the planet and film piercingly cold surf spots. You need to be savvy enough to hold steady with the wind whipping at your equipment and any exposed skin. And you must be technically skilled enough to produce high-quality footage that will resonate with an audience. The right amount of crazy to get comfortable in the cold doesn’t hurt either.
UNCHARTED WATERS
Ben Weiland is a filmmaker whose name has become synonymous with films that touch the far corners of this Earth. Stories of the human experience, through struggle and triumph, told through a cinematic lens. He recently joined his close collaborator, Brian Davis, to launch Fielder Films -- a studio dedicated to telling the types of stories that have become the bedrock of their prior collaborations.
CAPTURING ISLAND X
Ben Weiland is a filmmaker and producer who’s passionate about the outdoors and the unknown. His keen eye and sense of adventure are central to his work and inspire the projects he so enthusiastically pursues. But, as filmmakers and adventurers alike know all too well, financing is a major factor in making their passion a reality.
FROM BEDROOM BLOGGER TO ADVENTURE FILMMAKER
Recently, Ben Weiland received the news that his film “Under An Arctic Sky” had been asked to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. For the cinematographer, writer and illustrator, it represented a remarkable and very modern digital fairytale.