Agent, WME Independent
- Studied biochemistry at Concordia University in Montreal
- Graduated with a degree in creative producing from the University of North Carolina school of the arts
- Worked as a manager at Endeavor Content (now Fifth Season)
Since arriving at WME in 2022, Montreal-born Abe Bengio has established himself at the coalface of US and worldwide sales, working on major deals such as eventual Palme d’Or winner Triangle Of Sadness to Neon, Toronto 2024 comedy Friendship to A24 and Sundance 2025 entry Lurker to Mubi in his mission to champion independent voices.
“Films need to be better and eventised,” says Bengio in reference to the unforgiving US distribution landscape. He is full of praise for Anora filmmaker Sean Baker’s rallying cry for cinemagoing from the Oscar stage. “It all starts with that theatrical window,” he says of a film’s post-Covid revenue waterfall. “We need a sustainable Sundance, Cannes, EFM and AFM more than ever,” adds the agent. “There’s no replacement for in-person connections, and for the filmmakers it creates urgency around their work.”
Citing the “steadfast guidance” of WME Independent co-head Deborah McIntosh and the entire team as inspiration, the executive elaborates: “One of the great privileges of working at WME Independent is that our team is made up of mostly young hustlers and genuine team players. Building packages, structuring finance plans, brokering deals — it’s quite technical, and each film is its own math equation to solve.”
As for the future, Bengio says: “I want to continue championing powerful, culture-shifting voices that are at the intersection of art and commerce that can find wide global audiences.”
Contact: Abe Bengio
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