 Bensimon was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2005, received an honorary doctorate in Letters from York University in Toronto and, in 1998, was named "Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres" from the French Government for what he accomplished at TFO.He was born in Agadir, Morocco, grew up in Montreal after moving to Canada with his family (parents and three sisters) as a teen, and completed his film studies at New York University in New York City.Bensimon worked in Toronto and Montreal.