ALS UNITED I PATIENT FILMS
This ongoing series, produced with BBDO NY, brings audiences face to face with the raw humanity and unfiltered voices of people living with ALS. Each film is a candid portrait of a person, their character, their passions, and the people who love them. Rooted in both vulnerability and strength, these stories reveal what courage looks like in the face of a disease without a cure. These films are not made simply for online viewing; they are meant to be felt in live rooms with large audiences, where the response is immediate: tears, ovations, people on their feet. It is in those moments people are moved to act. ALS does not discriminate; it can strike anyone at any stage or station of life. This series has helped to raise millions, shift perceptions, and build momentum toward a future without ALS.
AGENCY BBDO NEW YORK
NO BS ABOUT HS I PATIENT STORIES
Created for Humira's NO BS ABOUT HS campaign, this series highlights the painful and often misunderstood condition Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). Told in their own voices, Tara, Sterling, and Kerry share powerful, unflinching testimony about the emotional and physical toll of living with HS. Each story pushes past stigma with honesty and clarity.
To bring the message into the physical world, the “HS BS” logo was 3D-printed as a physical object they could hold, confront, and throw. The act turned frustration into bold and visible moments of empowerment and defiance.
AGENCY | PUBLICIS NY & DIGITAS PHILLY
JUANITA'S STORY I LIVING WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER
This is Juanita's story of courage and self-advocacy. Created for Enhertu, she shares her experience with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. From initial fear and the shock of a stage four diagnosis, she finds strength through education and connection.
As a mother, determined to keep moving forward for her family, she offers practical strategies for navigating treatment. She encourages others to learn more about their condition, prepare questions for doctor visits, plan strategically around treatment schedules and finding strength through patient communities.
AGENCY | FCB HEALTH NEW YORK
BRAVING NEUROBLASTOMA | DEVON AND LEAH STILL
Devon Still built his reputation as an NFL player with grit and power, yet nothing prepared him for the fight he and his daughter Leah would face when she was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma.
Created with FCB Health, this film follows their journey from a 50/50 prognosis through experimental treatment and into survivorship. Devon and Leah share their story of strength and compassion to offer guidance to other families facing childhood cancer.
AGENCY | FCB HEALTH NEW YORK
OZARKA NESTLE WATER | YELLOWHAMMERS BAND
This short film for Ozarka Water celebrates the healthy connections, traditions, and hydration that keep a community strong. Set in Rotan, a small West Texas town where everybody does everything, this is a fast-moving heartfelt look at the Yellowhammer Marching Band. In a place where football is king, it’s the band that brings the town together and reminds us that greatness is about stepping up and showing up.
AGENCY | FCB NEW YORK
Foundation
AARP FOUNDATION I OUT OF THE SHADOWS
This awareness film created for the AARP Foundation highlights the unseen struggle of millions of aging adults facing poverty, hunger, and isolation. It demonstrates how dignified support and connection can change lives.
It was a great honor to work with Dr. Maya Angelou on this project.
Her words and presence bring warmth, gravity, and moral clarity to this story of resilience and hope.
AGENCY | GREY NEW YORK
What movie are we going to make ?
That is the first question I ask. I call everything a movie whether it's a commercial, patient testimonial, documentary, or brand film. Some projects begin with a finished script and boards. Others begin with a patient, physician, or family member sitting down to tell us what happened.
My job is to find the movie inside the assignment. When I work with people who have never been on camera, I draw on techniques used by actors to help them become comfortable, present, and specific. The goal is not a performance. It is a conversation that gives us something honest and emotionally immediate to build from.
Empathy begins with listening. It means understanding what someone has been through and allowing that understanding to guide how their story is told.
Healthcare filmmaking carries particular responsibility. The medical details must be clear, but the person can never disappear behind the diagnosis. Audiences recognize the difference. They want to understand the medicine, but they also want to recognize themselves, someone they care for, or someone they love.
ABOUT
Ben Starkman is a director and cinematographer in New York City who specializes in healthcare and pharmaceutical films and videos. For more than twenty years, he has worked with patients, physicians, caregivers, and families to tell personal stories about illness, treatment, and care.
His work includes patient testimonials, disease awareness campaigns, pharmaceutical advertising, brand films, and KOL and peer to peer videos. He has directed films for Humira, Enhertu, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and other healthcare brands, collaborating with agencies including BBDO, FCB Health, Publicis, and Digitas.
Since 2003, Ben has directed an ongoing series of patient films with BBDO New York for ALS United Greater New York. Presented at the organization’s annual benefit, the series has helped raise millions of dollars for ALS research and patient services. His work has received a Healthcare Clio and a Sports Clio.
Beyond healthcare, Ben’s career includes advertising, documentary, technology, automotive, and entertainment projects. He served as cinematographer and producer of On the Road with Judas, which premiered in the Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festiv