Ryan White
and Ben Cotner

Ben Cotner & Ryan White directed and produced The Case Against 8, a behind-the-scenes look inside the historic five-year battle to overturn California’s ban on same-sex marriage. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival, where Cotner and White won the Directing Award for US Documentary, and had its broadcast premiere on HBO in June of 2014. The Case Against 8 has been an audience and jury favorite at festivals and is currently playing in multiple theatres and festivals abroad.Prior to this collaboration, Cotner served as an executive for ten years at Paramount Pictures and Open Road Films, where he oversaw acquisitions and production for a multitude of films including An Inconvenient Truth, Mad Hot Ballroom, and The Grey. White is the director/producer of Good Ol’ Freda (Magnolia Pictures, 2013), and Pelada (PBS International/Cinetic, 2010). His previous credits include television documentary specials on CNN and PBS.

Portrait photo by Austin Hargrave.