Meet Sanaz Homayounieh | Editor

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

Hi Sanaz, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
From a young age, I knew that I needed to pursue a career as a lawyer. Not necessarily because it was my dream job, but because I knew it would make my family proud (Iranian standards…haha). I would be following the status quo that exists on both sides of my family by choosing one of three career paths: doctor, lawyer, or engineer. Cousins, grandparents, and even complete strangers we would chat to at the supermarket encouraged me to choose one of them. I chose to be a lawyer. A career in political science made most sense for my interest at the time, and I felt that I would thrive in a writing/humanities-based field since I could write an academic paper like it was breathing. I could use those skills to potentially save people’s lives as well, which was also important to me. So, up until two weeks before my first semester of college, I aspired to be a political science major, with a plan to transfer from community college to a 4-year, and eventually go to law school. I consider myself to be an over-planner, so I made sure that I had at least the next 7 years thought out.

Unfortunately for my strategist self, I graduated high school in 2020. You guessed it; here comes yet another Covid-19 story! Being quarantined at home meant that my once busy schedule of extracurriculars and studying had suddenly come to a halt, and I was forced to live out the rest of high school in my room. With this, I spent a lot of time thinking about my life and where it was headed. In a way, it was a wake up call to re-think what I actually wanted out of my career. What I pursued now would be my forever job, and that freaked me out a bit. I was spiraling. The “stable”, almost robotic life-plan I had carefully crafted, was shattered within a matter of weeks. After taking a step back to evaluate, I realized three things: 1. I like the arts. I did technical theatre in high school, and I knew I would love to pursue a similar career. I also loved photography and creating shortform videos for class projects and personal vlogs. 2. I want to help people who don’t have the resources to do so. Part of why a law career stood out to me originally. 3. I loved movies in general, making an effort to watch every film on its opening night. I also loved watching award shows, fascinated by each category. As cliche as it sounds, I always wondered what it would be like to be recognized for some sort of film achievement. Growing up, it never quite clicked in my head as to why I those thoughts popped up. In a way, I subconsciously dreamt of a career in film. Maybe it would be a film “Directed by Sanaz Homayounieh”. However, I often shook these thoughts away, because “how could someone like me be a filmmaker? Besides, I don’t think my name is as memorable as it could be. It’s not a director’s name”.

Remembering these innocent thoughts I had as a child, I realized: what the hell does that even mean??? If I felt drawn to the filmmaking world, I shouldn’t hold back. The “name” I was so worried about depended on me and my work, nothing else. If I worked towards my newfound goal of creating art, possible through film, then that would set the standard of what kind of artist I became.

With these newly recovered realizations in mind, it then became time to see what possible major I could pursue that combines these interests. I came to the conclusion that I could be a film major. A career in film meant I had the tools to make movies that are important to me, and hopefully reach communities that can relate to my work. In terms of specializing in a role, being an editor felt the most appealing, while also focusing on directing and other departmental roles. My main goal was to take enough classes to eventually be able to both direct and edit the films I make. (and this is still true!) Everything was making sense, fitting together like a puzzle that seemed impossible to finish. For the first time in my life, I was making a major decision for myself that actually made sense. Once I knew this was my final decision, I was filled with a sense of adrenaline I hadn’t felt before; it was exciting! My heart was pounding so hard it felt like something was trying to escape. Within minutes, I ran to the community college portal to request a major change, which quickly got approved. I was hopeful for the future. But then I remembered something that made my heart drop: I had to tell my family. Filled with panic, I spiraled into an endless loop of different ways to justify myself. Should I be logical about it and make a detailed presentation? Or should I do the worst thing of all and stand up for myself, simply saying “It’s what I wanted to do”? The thought sent shivers down my spine. I took a deep breath and decided I was going to tell them as calmly as possible, emphasizing that this change was well thought out and would make me feel successful on all levels. The conversation went very well! Although it came as a surprise, they wholeheartedly supported the career change after seeing how enthusiastic I was about it. I am forever grateful to have such understanding and supportive parents; I owe most of my success to them. Two weeks later, I began taking entry level film classes at our local community college (or as we like to call it, zoom university) and each class re-affirmed that filmmaking was what I want to spend the rest of my life doing. Nothing had ever felt more right. After a year of online classes, I transferred to San Francisco State University. This was the second biggest decision I’ve made, as it meant I was now on the opposite end of California. I have absolutely no regrets, and I am so happy I made the move! Living in San Francisco opened up an entire new world, as I spent most of my time outside classes exploring the city and what it had to offer. It changed the trajectory of my life. I was enchanted by how alive this city is, captivated by bright lights on the bay bridge, the city skyline view from Twin Peaks, live music in the streets of Hayes Valley, and observing the different day-to-day happenings all over the city. Of course, let’s not forget the mouth-watering variety of cuisines that literally changed my life. Every aspect of the city is inspiring, and before I knew it, I found myself photographing and filming all sorts of sights.

While studying, I fell in love with documentary filmmaking after taking an intro class. I think my hobby of taking pictures and videos also contributed to this. I was captivated by the simple yet empowering type of storytelling that goes beyond what general audiences think documentaries are. Since I was also hoping to pursue a career focused on both directing and editing, documentaries made sense in my mind. They are carefully crafted like a mosaic; tons of different-shaped pieces put together to make something beautiful and unique. Before I knew it, I was watching documentaries for the fun of it! I love the way that stories ranging from historical events, nature, love stories, true crime, and more can make us reconsider our preconceived thoughts on a topic. While I’d love to create art through all sorts of mediums (narrative, reality, etc), Documentaries have my entire heart. I want to explore a wide variety of topics that I may not even know exist at the moment. That’s the exciting part of entering the documentary world; a whole new perspective of life reveals itself!

On top of all that, I think documentaries are arguably one of the most important forms of media in existence. Not only are they similar to films in sharing a story with a message, but they also act as a record of the documented events that may have been erased due to a variety of influences. One of my goals in life is to use my career to provide a safe space and platform for people to share their stories. It can be life-changing for the people you interview, and people deserve to have their stories heard. Over the years, I curated a long list of documentaries I know I want to make that are a reflection of me and my values. Most importantly, though, people’s stories deserve to be shared.

A few months ago, I graduated from SFSU with a B.A. in Cinema and a Minor in Business Administration. During my education, I edited a number of short films, including a capstone project I wrote and directed! Looking back now, I wish I could give the younger me a hug, and tell her that I overcame the false standards I had previously set for myself; I became a director and an editor! I am proud of the name I established for myself, and I am excited to see where my career as a filmmaker goes!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Like I mentioned before, I am an aspiring documentary filmmaker. I am a huge believer that people should not give up on what they are passionate about. Where I am career-wise is due to my peers, mentors, family, and friends alike; they are the backbone of my support! However, I also could not be where I am today without myself. I am at the phase of my life where everything feels weird. Post-graduation is a scary world that they don’t teach you in school! With that in mind, there are also standards of how recent graduates should be living their lives, such as immediately having a 9-5 job lined up. Of course, this freaked me out as my final semester played out. It feels like I applied to a million entry level jobs, with not a single one biting back. Mini rant here, but why do entry level positions expect 2+ years of experience?! Regardless, I continued the job hunt. When things began to look hopeless, I went down a rabbit hole of fearing for my career. “A gap between university and work can literally break your career”, said a relative. “Find something, at least”

However, I remembered that I chose an art career path. If I didn’t have a typical 9-5 desk job, so be it! What matters most is that I stick with what I’m passionate about. With this new attitude in mind, I feel that the universe opened up a whole new world. I didn’t let outside discouragement cloud my judgement of what I knew I was capable of establishing for myself, even if it would take 1 month or 1 year. Fast forward to now, 5 months post-graduation. I am working freelance as an assistant editor on the most amazing project I could ask to work on. I feel I am learning something new about the field every day, and also about my style as a filmmaker. It helped me realize that I wanted my art to reach audiences far and wide, sharing stories that may not have been heard otherwise.

Besides editing films and documentaries, I also have a passion for photography. The photos I take are an extension of who I am, ranging from nature, worldwide sights, cultural events, and even the dishes I’m eating. Oftentimes, I’ve been told I take way too many photos for my own good, but I love it! I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Photography has helped me feel more connected to the local communities I’ve lived in, whether in Orange County, Los Angeles, or the greater Bay Area. Additionally, I feel more connected to the unknown places when I take on a new adventure. I love to travel, whether an hour away or on the other side of the world. My hometown friends complain that they never see me, checking my location only to see that I am in some random city! I love that I can capture moments in time with my trusty Canon DSLR, reminiscing on them in the future. I like experimenting with non-traditional angles and subjects, sometimes even opting to take photos of random objects in the area. I feel that my love for photography helped fuel my love and excitement for filmmaking, considering that there’s tons of overlap.

I have no regrets. All the hard work I put into developing my personal style is beginning to pay off, and I am excited to see where my career goes!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had friends visiting the area (Los Angeles), I would do my best to avoid any tourist spots! I know this is a cliche answer, but I feel that you can explore how alive the city is without walking down the walk of fame, doing a hop-on, hop-off bus tour, etc. This is what I’d plan for a week-long trip:

Breakfast/Brunch spots: All Day Baby (you need to try the Barbacoa Burrito), Dinosaur Coffee, Yi Mei, Kee Wah Bakery (best Taiwanese breakfast ever!), The Cowboy Tavern, Basil & Cheese Cafe, Met Her At A Bar, Horror Vibes Coffee, Wake and Late, and if we do a day trip to OC, S’wich Bistro in Irvine (favorite breakfast burrito ever!)

Lunch: Cherry Pick Cafe, Monty’s Good Burger (vegan spot!), Homegirl Cafe, The Kickin’ Crab, Green Olive, Yangji Gamjatang, Reina’s Restaurant y Pupuseria, Sachi Teriyaki House, Leo’s Taco Truck, Mama Lu’s Dumpling House, Silverlake Ramen (the one in Silverlake!!)

Dinner: BCD Tofu House, Gyoza Bar, Raffi’s Place (best Persian food in California), Merkato, Pizzarei Sei, The Boiling Crab, Darya Restaurant, Blue Palms Brewhouse, Urban Press Winery + Restaurant, Anajak Thai, Damian, Weaf Restaurant

Desert: SomiSomi, Beard Papa’s, Los Alpes Ice Cream, Saffron and Rose Ice Cream, Millet Crepe, Sul & Beans, Sidecar doughnuts, Melo Melo, Happy Ice, Kinrose Creamery, and for a possible trip down to OC, Sno-to-Go has an amazing shave ice + soft serve combo

Nightlife: Tiki- Ti (classic Tiki Bar), Inkwell Tavern, Durango Cantina, Cabaret Tehran, Soju Tavern, Martin’s Cantina, The Rooftop, Elevate Lounge, The Moon Room

Fun: Catch a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse, Montrose Bowling Alley, thrifting at Virgil Normal and 2nd Street, Cabrillo Beach Tide Pools + beach picnic, concert at the Troubadour, shopping at the Chunky stationary store, Rooftop Cinema Club, Swan Boats + Picnic at Lake Balboa, Hike at Wilacre Park, check out the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, Getty Center, walk/shop around Abbot Kinney Blvd

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my parents and younger brother! I would not be here without their love and support throughout my entire life. Love you guys!

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanaz-homayounieh-49b9a220b/

Image Credits
Sanaz Homayounieh