Directory Profile

Sam Kadi is an award-winning filmmaker based in Santa Barbara, California.  He’s the director, writer and producer of the critically acclaimed feature drama, The Citizen, which won multiple awards and was named one of the “Best 10 Films of 2013” by Examiner.com. Kadi's war-zone documentary Little Gandhi was an Official Selection for Best Foreign Language Film for the 2017 Oscars. Kadi is the producer of the 2023 Oscar-shortlisted feature animation film Lamya’s Poem, which is now available on Apple TV. His films have sparked global conversations, including screenings at the United Nations and engagements with the U.S. Congress and the Canadian Parliament. Kadi has been recognized by the prestigious Cinema For Peace organization for raising awareness of human rights issues through motion pictures, and was asked to speak about the same subject before the International Criminal Court at The Hague, Netherlands. Kadi is a TEDx speaker, a juror for multiple film festivals including the European Independent Film Festival (Paris) and Asian World Film Festival (Los Angeles), a member of the International Animated Film Society (ASIFA-Hollywood), and a member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) where he serves on the Guild Asian American Diversity Committee.