Farzad Samsami

Known for

Directing

Birthplace

Tehran, Iran

Farzad Samsami is an Iranian-Norwegian film director based in Oslo. Across his body of work, he has consistently explored questions of identity, belonging, displacement, and the fragile bonds that connect us. With a restrained and deeply human cinematic voice, his films often focus on characters caught between places, cultures, languages, and emotional realities. His debut short film, FOAD (2014), premiered in International Competition at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and won the Bridging the Borders Award for Best International Short Film at Palm Springs ShortFest. He went on to direct MY FATHER (2018) and the multi-award- winning DOAH (2020), which had its world premiere in the African Perspectives section at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. His short film LAVINA (2022) is the first Norwegian film with Romanes as its main language and a Norwegian/Roma lead actor. Together, these short films form a continuous exploration of people searching for connection, dignity, and a sense of home in worlds that often place them on the margins. With WAVES OF SILENCE (2026), a 98-minute drama shot entirely in Morocco, Samsami expands these themes into his feature film debut. He serves as producer, director, screenwriter and editor on the film.