Los Angeles County, CA, USA
$250 - $1500 / Day
An Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Sam’s work has appeared on HBO, BBC, CNN, Channel 4 News, Vice, Al Jazeera, National Geographic, and other outlets. Sam spent five years in Afghanistan, where he directed the Oscar-nominated narrative film “Buzkashi Boys.” His most recent documentary With This Breath I Fly, about two Afghan women fighting for their freedom after being imprisoned for “moral crimes,” has won over a dozen awards at major film festivals. Sam has directed episodes of the Emmy-nominated documentary series Religion of Sports and Why We Fight, and the Red Bull series All In and Life of Kai. He is currently working on Dominion, a documentary about a new generation of evangelical climate activists, and Skinhead, a narrative feature film about former neo-Nazi Frank Meeink, a true story exploring one man’s fall to power and rise into grace. He has served on juries for the IDA Documentary Awards, the Austin Film Festival, the Istanbul Film Festival, the Dumbo Film Festival, and New York Shorts International. Sam believes in the power of storytelling as an engine of empathy. He lives in Los Angeles.
Nima Elbagir travels to Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, where a programme to eradicate opium production has led to an upsurge of child smugglers.
When the Taliban fled Bagram, they left behind hundreds of buried mines, which injured many of the villagers. The Halo Trust, supported by the Department for International Development, has been training locals in how to remove the mines and reclaim the land for the people.
At the height of the international occupation of Afghanistan, two women – Gulnaz, raped and impregnated by her uncle, and Farida, on the run from an abusive husband – are imprisoned on charges of “moral crimes” by an Afghan justice system that is supported by billions of dollars of aid money from the European Union.
An Oscar-nominated filmmaker and founding director of the documentary production company Development Pictures, Sam’s work has appeared on HBO, BBC, CNN, Channel 4 News, Al Jazeera, National Geographic, and other broadcast outlets. In addition to multiple award-winning documentaries, Sam wrote and directed the Academy Award nominated short film “Buzkashi Boys,” which was the first narrative film since 2001 to be filmed entirely on location in Afghanistan.
Produced for Dirty Robber
As coalition forces pull out, the Afghan National Army must stand on its own against the Taliban. Afghanistan Rising showcases the efforts of officers and soldiers attempting to forge a fighting force capable of restoring peace and Independence to their country.
Alexey Molchanov is the best Freediver alive. At Vertical Blue, one of diving’s premier competitions, he wants to dominate like never before. But for Alexey, diving isn’t a sport; it’s a means of reconnecting with a mother he lost to the ocean.
Production Support
Post Production
Miscellaneous