Josh Safdie is receiving awards attention for his solo feature Marty Supreme while his long-time collaboration with brother Benny Safdie has formally ended. The brothers, known for a string of tense, high-profile films together, announced a break in early 2024; Benny has described the move as a mutual decision to pursue different creative paths.
Josh Safdie Goes Solo With Marty Supreme
Josh Safdie is nominated as writer, director, and producer of the sports comedy-drama Marty Supreme and could win his first Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards, or potentially multiple awards. Marty Supreme marks his first feature as a solo director after years of co-directing with his brother. The film’s nominations have thrust his solo work into the spotlight and crystallized the public question of why the long-running partnership ended.
Benny Safdie’s Career and His Explanation of the Split
Benny Safdie, born February 24, 1986, has built a career both behind and in front of the camera. He graduated from the Boston University College of Communication in 2008 and has acted in films such as Licorice Pizza, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, and Oppenheimer, in which he portrayed Edward Teller. On his acting work he reflected that playing a Jewish father in one role offered a cathartic experience of unconditional love. He also discussed his approach to a role’s physical details, noting that one director encouraged him to keep distinctive features intact for effect.
On the end of the brothers’ directing partnership, Benny has been direct about the motivations. In July 2023 he told GQ, “It just felt like, okay, there’s things that I want to explore that don’t necessarily align right now with Josh, ” and described a “divide and conquer mentality. ” He added, “He wants to tell this story, he can go and do that. I’m going to go and do a couple of other things. It seems like a natural progression for how things have happened. ” A year later he reiterated a commitment to directing on his own and exploring his own projects.
Shared History: Their Collaborative Films and Impact
Before the split, the brothers built a distinct body of work together. Their first feature premiered in 2009; they went on to co-write, direct, and edit films including Daddy Longlegs, the 2013 documentary Lenny Cooke, Heaven Knows What, and the 2016 Robert Pattinson-starrer Good Time, in which Benny also acted. Their best-known collaboration remains Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler, Lakeith Stanfield, and Julia Fox, for which the brothers won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director. In their acceptance speech they playfully spoke over each other before ending with “I love you. “
Their partnership combined a consistent creative voice with occasional crossover into acting and producing. The brothers grew up splitting time between Queens and Manhattan, and their shared early career included festival premieres and critical recognition that established them as a singular directing duo.
What Comes Next
With Josh Safdie now positioned as a solo director with major award nominations and Benny Safdie publicly committed to pursuing individual projects, the professional split appears framed by both brothers as a forward-looking, creative decision. The immediate next steps are centered on their separate projects: Josh’s Marty Supreme is in awards contention, while Benny has signaled plans to direct and take on new acting roles. How each brother’s solo work will reshape their reputations remains the central development to watch.
