Maryam Samadi is a Kurdish filmmaker and screenwriter from Iran whose cinematic work is shaped by a poetic visual language and a human-centered approach that moves beyond conventional storytelling toward emotional atmosphere, fragile human details, and contemplative cinematic expression.

Born in Ghotor, Khoy in 1988, and currently based in Urmia, Samadi began her artistic journey in directing in 2009 through the Iranian Youth Reporters Club before directing her first short film Blue Kite in 2011. In 2012, she joined the Iranian Youth Cinema Society, where she continued developing her cinematic language professionally while pursuing further studies in directing and visual storytelling.

Between 2013 and 2015, she directed several short films, including:
• Common Moments
• And Me

before gaining wider recognition through The Summer of the Swans, a film that achieved notable success at domestic and international festivals and received awards and recognitions in countries including Italy and Argentina.

She later directed Karnika in collaboration with the Iranian Youth Cinema Society. In 2023, she directed and wrote Salt Sellers, a co-production between Iran and Belgium, and co-directed and co-wrote A House Near the Sun alongside Roni Schamlian as a joint production between Iran and Germany. Salt Sellers also received awards and recognition in the United States.

Alongside directing, Samadi has worked as a directing consultant, programmer, and screenwriter for several short and feature film projects. Her cinematic approach often transforms the image into a tool for exploring inner human worlds, emotional fragility, memory, and social reality through poetic visual composition and intimate storytelling.

Her films are distinguished by their quiet visual sensitivity, attention to subtle emotional details, and exploration of identity, memory, and the role of women within Eastern societies, combining realism with visual poetry and psychological drama.

As a member of the Selection & Preliminary Evaluation Committee — Narrative Films Section — at the 5th edition of the Kobani International Film Festival 2024, the Taha Karimi Edition, held under the theme “A Journey Through World Cultures” — Maryam Samadi represents a contemporary Kurdish cinematic voice that reflects the growing presence of women in independent Middle Eastern cinema and opens toward diverse human experiences across cultures and borders.