Meet Sām Azghandi | Filmmaker & VFX Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sām Azghandi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sām, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Becoming a filmmaker was not something I wished for as a kid. The journey of life and exploring reality, made me become a filmmaker. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in a Medical Lab in my country, Iran, and moved to the United States to continue my education. Soon after my immigration, I realized that a very good friend of mine who was identified as a trans woman committed suicide. She lost her life just because of a lack of education and communication about the LGBTQIA community in our culture. That accident made me think if I could do anything for the next generation to be free and live free, I need to start educating my community with film and via media. That’s why I began pursuing filmmaking.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am an Iranian Independent filmmaker based in New York. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Lab from the University of Tehran branch of medicine. After several years of working in the medical field in Tehran, I started a new adventure in the United. States. attending the school of Visual Performing Arts’ M.F.A. program in film in 2019. Most of my work explores themes of gender, race, and class in queer and immigrant lives.

Through listening to the voice of people who suffered because of their sexual identification or sexual orientation, I was inspired to create movies emphasizing peace in our communities and use my films as an educational tool to inform people about LGBTQIA life experiences. I aim to be a voice for people who live in my country to make a different experience for the future generation. In this journey, I have been working on several documentary projects. My first documentary ” Around the World (2018)” is about a non-profit organization in Houston, Texas that provides free English classes for immigrants. Through this documentary, I interviewed students and volunteers who were working and studying in this place. I could see privileged people who have never lived in another country and couldn’t relate to the struggles of immigration and immigrants.
My other in-progress autobiography/documentary film that I am working on right now named Blue Dream is a result of an inner fight with myself to step out of my comfort zone and be in front of the camera and talk about my struggles from moving to the United States and how to overcome my problems after the established law for the Muslim ban in 2016.

My interest is making documentaries and movies about immigrants who had to flee from their county because of war, religious differences, sexual orientation, and sexual identification. I come from a country rich in art, and I believe nothing else can impact my people more except art.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to my beautiful family (Abdollah Azghandi, Ferial SeyedKalal, Negar Azghandi, and Rana Azghandi) who have been massive supporters of me and my work, and to my wonderful wife Reyhaneh Abdolazimi who have been on my site through all projects I have made since we have been together and has been a huge inspiration for me.

Website: https://samazghandi.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azghandisam/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-azghandi-9b1318205/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sam.azghandi

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV1FUyR_W2-LEhODdQXMK0Q/videos

Image Credits
Shiilā Seok Wun AU YONG Evan Bode Hajar Faal