My Benjamin | 2026 SF Dance Film Festival

My Benjamin A visual essay on the loving acceptance of what comes to an end, starring Paris Opera Ballet Étoile Benjamin Pech. UNITED STATES PREMIERE | My Benjamin follows Benjamin Pech during his final year as an Étoile at the Paris Opera Ballet, tracing the arc of his artistic life inside the storied Palais Garnier, from his entry into the Opera’s ballet school at age ten to the severe hip injury that now threatens to end his career. Along the way, director Victoria Clay Mendoza and Pech develop an unexpected friendship in which each sees themselves reflected in the other: as Pech confronts a body that can no longer sustain him, Clay Mendoza faces her own return to Mexico to care for her mother, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. A visual essay on endings, on the loving acceptance of deterioration, and on the need to be seen through these processes, My Benjamin renders the private world of ballet intimate and immediate, following Benjamin’s daily routine with rare access and tenderness. Followed by a live Q&A with director Victoria Clay. Director: Victoria Clay Mendoza (Mexico, 2025) 75 minutes Tickets purchased at the door will cost $1 additional per ticket. 6:30p | House Opens 7:00p | Program begins Runtime: 75 minutes Venue Accessibility: The entrance to Delancey Street Theater’s screening room is at 600 The Embarcadero. Once you enter the gates, there is an office to your left with a front desk. The person at the front desk will escort you to the elevator to get to the screening room. About the 2026 San Francisco Dance Film Festival: The San Francisco Dance Film Festival marks its seventeenth year this fall with over 80 films celebrating dance in all its forms, from world-class ballet to endangered folkloric traditions. Eighteen in-person screenings run October 23 through November 8 at venues across San Francisco, complete with artist Q&As, panels, and community gatherings, followed by an Online Festival from November 9 through 30 featuring short film programs and online-only features. Join SFDFF 2026 for intimate documentaries, dazzling screendance, and thrilling live performance captures that celebrate the ever-evolving intersection of dance and film. For more info please visit our website.