My Profile

Farnaz Samiinia is the founder and president of Walla Films, an independent film company based in Los Angeles. Farnaz teamed up with producer Michael Z. Gordon and is attached to direct a feature film titled Kill Me! (2009). This project is scheduled for production in the spring of 2009. Farnaz is also collaborating on a Drama/Fantasy/Romance/Thriller project with Howard Berger. Furthermore, Farnaz is working closely with Kathleen Kennedy on an Untitled Project and is developing her second signature work, a Drama/Action/Thriller titled Strangers Don't Cry (2010). Farnaz finished directing and editing her first full-length feature film Plot 7 (2007), a horror/thriller starring Linden Ashby from Melrose Place (1993), Mortal Kombat (1995), Resident Evil: Extinction (2007), Gabrielle Carteris from "Beverly Hills, 90210" (1990) and 'Joseph Castanon' from Click (2006/I). Plot 7 (2007) is completed and premiered in October 2007 at the Leammle Theatres. Farnaz directed and edited the successful short film Body of Work (2006) starring John McCook from "The Bold and the Beautiful" (1987) and Lorenzo Lamas from "Renegade" (1992), which premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival in 2005 and was nominated for best short film at the Canadian Female Eye Film Festival in 2006. Farnaz's other short films, "Matthew 10:28" and "Butterfly" were included in several festivals hosted by California State University Long Beach and the Director's Guild of America. "Butterfly" was also showcased at the Cinema Lounge Festival in February of 2003. Farnaz worked as the 1st Assistant Director on the feature film Rogues (2003) which was written, produced, and directed by Laurel Wetzork. Her other film production work includes stints as an editor for fifteen short films, AD, sound mixer, boom operator, gaffer and grip on several short films, as well as a production assistant on the feature film "Take Two," written and directed by Sharyn C. Blumenthal. She completed several internships with Lightstorm - James Cameron's company, "The Bold and the Beautiful" (1987) at CBS, and Creative Players - a film/management company. She also did background work on the films Starship Troopers (1997), "Uncommon Grounds" and "The Bold and the Beautiful" (1987). Farnaz was born in Persia and raised in Cologne, Germany. She is a graduate of California State University Long Beach, where she earned her B.A. in Film and Electronic Arts Production. She was awarded the Lucy Award Scholarship sponsored by Women in Film, the Fine Arts Affiliates Scholarship, and the Outstanding Achievements in Higher Education Honor Award. After graduating high school in Colonge,Germany, Farnaz worked for the television production company Endemol Entertainment, best known for their television reality shows Fear Factor (2001), Spy TV (2001), Dog Eat Dog (2002), and "Big Brother" (2000/II). Farnaz is strongly influenced by directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Kathryn Bigelow, Stanley Kubrick, and James Cameron.