Biography

Los Angeles based Financing and Production Company, Samaco Films' CEO, and independent feature film producer Franco Sama, boasts a remarkable and extensive history in public speaking, public relations and nearly three decades of independent film development, production, and financing experience.

Sama is a proud member of Producer's Guild of America (PGA), and has Executive Produced and Produced an impressive array of over thirty (30) successful independent feature films; perhaps the most notable being "Guns, Girls and Gambling" starring Gary Oldman, Christian Slater, and Dane Cook; which acquired a distribution deal from Universal Home Entertainment.

Other films Sama has executive produced include "Black Limousine" starring David Arquette and Lin Shaye and Vivica Fox; "Tooth and Nail" starring Michael Madsen and Vinnie Jones, and film festival darling "Petunia," starring Thora Birch, Brittany Snow, and Academy Award winner Christine Lahti.

Between 2023 and 2024, Sama presided over the release of three independent feature films, including the Australian Action Drama, "Suka", which was directed by Hiedi Lee Douglas and produced by Tsu Shan Chambers, which he Executive Produced.

Additionally, he served as Producer on the electrifying action-packed thriller, "Take the Night", which garnered a limited theatrical release in the United States.

The close of 2023 saw the worldwide theatrical release of "The Shift," a faith-based drama starring Neal McDonogh and Sean Austin, on which he served as a Consulting Producer.

Sama is Executive Producing the highly anticipated Elevated Musical Thriller, "Alexis Colette", which is being directed by its' writer and creator, Anthony W. Johnson and expected to begin principal photography in New York, in early 2026.

Early-stage pre-production for his 2025-2026 season has already begun, with an exciting, edge-of-your-seat, elevated thriller, titled "Vodun".

In his constant effort to seek out to educate, and assist aspiring filmmakers, Sama has traveled throughout the United States and the world, educating emerging filmmakers on the business of film funding.

His distinct and direct teaching methods have inspired thousands of enterprising film makers from the podiums of many keynote addresses and guest speaking engagements.

Such engagements include; The Decibel Entertainment Festival, held in the West Indies Island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, a multitude of University Lectures such as the Annual Columbia University Script Connect Conference, Boston University Los Angeles, Writer in Hollywood Program, the SUNY, Fredonia, New York, Gradution address and the V.I.P. Film Summit, held in Washington D.C., to name a few.

Sama served as Former Chair of The Members Events Committee for the Producer's Guild of America, (PGA), from 2023-2025 and is also an active advocate and former Chair Committee member for the non-profit organization, NewFilmmakers, Los Angeles.

- IMDb mini biography by: Franco Sama