Lillian E. Benson, ACE
No birth date available.
Lillian E. Benson, ACE began working in 1977, and was the editor of two episodes of Eyes on the Prize, nominated for an Emmy. She has eighty-one editing credits. Benson edited several feature films by black women directors, including Ayoka Chenzira’s Alma’s Rainbow, Christine Swanson’s All About You and Debbie Allen’s The Old Settler. Benson was the first African-American female editor selected for membership in ACE and serves on their board of directors. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Black Hollywood Education and Research Center in 2017. The extensive list of documentaries Benson has edited about the African-American experience include those about the Freedom Riders, Maya Angelou, John Lewis, and the Alvin Ailey Dance Group.
“You always draw on the intuitive self…and if you’re familiar with the tools, and don’t have to think about how you’re working, then…that is the strength of having a system that works with your mind, and you don’t have to overthink how to get it to do what you want it to do.”
—“Making the Cut: Lillian Benson, ACE—Drawing on the Intuitive Self” by Jess Bedford. The full interview can be found in the Appendix.
