Sam Mohseni is a writer-director and film editor currently based in Toronto. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production from the University of British Columbia. Born and raised in Iran and coming from a musical background, Sam pursued filmmaking after emigrating to Canada.
During his undergraduate studies in the Film Production program at UBC, Sam made two short narratives, 'Saida' (2018) and 'Poplife' (2019), both of which dealt with issues of immigration and identity in North America. 'Saida' was an award nominee for Best National Film at the University of Winnipeg Film Festival 2018 (UWpg), and 'Poplife', a music-driven drama, was an official selection at Vancouver Short Film Festival 2020 and MENA Film Festival 2020.
'Maple at Night' (2018) is a short cultural documentary Sam made in China in two weeks as part of Looking China Filmmaking Project which turned out to be a Golden Lens Award winner for Best Film in 2018, the year he was also the recipient of North Shore Studios Scholarship in Film Production.
'Persian Blue' (2021), Sam’s intimate short film about his mother, a Persian Carpet artist, was an official selection at Whistler Film Festival in 2021 among other festivals in North America and Europe including MENA Film Festival, Chagrin International Documentary Film Festival, and Venice Intercultural Film Festival.
Sam was one of the selected participants in the 2019 edition of Vancouver International Film Festival’s Mentorship Program which provided him a major insight into Canada’s film industry. He was also the recipient of the H. Norman Lidster Prize in Documentary Filmmaking in 2021 for his short documentary 'Persian Blue' (2021) and again in 2023 for his first feature documentary, 'Persia and I: Restoring the Visit'.
His first feature film, 'Persia and I: Restoring the Visit' (2025), is an experimental documentary on war, cinema, and cultural identity and produced with the support of the BC Arts Council. He is currently in post-production for his second feature documentary, 'Highway 1'. In addition to his filmmaking activities, Sam is a part of the Vancouver International Film Festival’s Short Forum programming team, and he is currently a graduate student at York University in Cinema & Media Studies.
During his undergraduate studies in the Film Production program at UBC, Sam made two short narratives, 'Saida' (2018) and 'Poplife' (2019), both of which dealt with issues of immigration and identity in North America. 'Saida' was an award nominee for Best National Film at the University of Winnipeg Film Festival 2018 (UWpg), and 'Poplife', a music-driven drama, was an official selection at Vancouver Short Film Festival 2020 and MENA Film Festival 2020.
'Maple at Night' (2018) is a short cultural documentary Sam made in China in two weeks as part of Looking China Filmmaking Project which turned out to be a Golden Lens Award winner for Best Film in 2018, the year he was also the recipient of North Shore Studios Scholarship in Film Production.
'Persian Blue' (2021), Sam’s intimate short film about his mother, a Persian Carpet artist, was an official selection at Whistler Film Festival in 2021 among other festivals in North America and Europe including MENA Film Festival, Chagrin International Documentary Film Festival, and Venice Intercultural Film Festival.
Sam was one of the selected participants in the 2019 edition of Vancouver International Film Festival’s Mentorship Program which provided him a major insight into Canada’s film industry. He was also the recipient of the H. Norman Lidster Prize in Documentary Filmmaking in 2021 for his short documentary 'Persian Blue' (2021) and again in 2023 for his first feature documentary, 'Persia and I: Restoring the Visit'.
His first feature film, 'Persia and I: Restoring the Visit' (2025), is an experimental documentary on war, cinema, and cultural identity and produced with the support of the BC Arts Council. He is currently in post-production for his second feature documentary, 'Highway 1'. In addition to his filmmaking activities, Sam is a part of the Vancouver International Film Festival’s Short Forum programming team, and he is currently a graduate student at York University in Cinema & Media Studies.
