Sara Zandieh

  1. Home
  2. Wiki
Sara Zandieh
NationalityAmerican
Known forShort film, Filmmaking, Film director
AwardsFulbright Scholar

Sara Zandieh is an American film director and screenwriter[1] of Iranian descent.[2] She holds an M.F.A. in film directing from Columbia University’s School of the Arts[3] and is a recipient of a Fulbright[4] grant for filmmaking. Zandieh’s 2010 short film The Pool Party won second place at the Tribeca Film Festival[5][6][7] and she has since expanded into feature films, directing works such as A Simple Wedding, The Other Zoey, and Doin’ It.[3] Additionally, in television Zandieh has directed episodes for network and streaming series.[2]

Works and career

[edit]

Short films and early projects

[edit]

In 2009, Sara Zandieh entered a story called The Pool Party in the Narrative Magazine 30 Below contest for writers between the ages of 18 and 30.[8] She was among the top ten N30B finalists and a small prize for her effort.[8]

In 2010, Zandieh directed The Pool Party. It is a 14-minute short film that was shot in Tehran just before the 2009-2010 Iranian election crisis.[9] It documents the story of a male servant, who must fully repair a pool while acting as a surrogate father to the master's daughter. Zandieh combined social realism with allegory to illustrate the servant's struggle.[1]

In 2012, she wrote and directed Reza Hassani Goes to the Mall,[10] starring Maz Jobrani, premiered at Telluride Film Festival and won the Focus Features Best Film Award at Columbia University's festival.[11]

Feature films

[edit]

In 2018, Zandieh co-wrote and directed her debut feature, A Simple Wedding, an Iranian-American romantic comedy starring Tara Grammy, Rita Wilson, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Maz Jobrani, and others. It premiered at the LA Film Festival and later secured a theatrical release via Blue Fox Entertainment.[2]

In 2023, she directed The Other Zoey, a romantic comedy film starring Drew Starkey, Josephine Langford, Andie MacDowell, and Heather Graham for Amazon Prime.[12]

In 2024, Zandieh co-wrote and directed Doin' It, a comedy starring Lilly Singh as a 30-year-old virgin who becomes a high school sex education teacher. The film premiered at SXSW in 2024 and is set for wide theatrical distribution.[13]

Television

[edit]

In 2021 and 2022, Zandieh directed two episodes Good Girls and in 2025, she directed an episode of Grosse Pointe Garden Society.[14] She was selected through Universal's Female Forward director program.[14]

2010 Tribeca Film Festival

[edit]

Zandieh's film was one of 47 short films screened in Lower Manhattan theaters.[15] Like Tal Rosner, Zandieh is a returning director.[15] Amongst other directors premiering films, she competed against Kirsten Dunst.[15] Student kudos went to the winning short, Some Boys Don't Leave, "with special mention going to Sara Zandieh's The Pool Party."[7]

On April 29, 2010, The Pool Party was shown at the Columbia University School of the Arts' 23rd Annual Film Festival.[16]

Awards

[edit]

Zandieh won a 2009-2010 grant from the Fulbright Program,[4] one of the most widely recognized international exchange programs in the world.[17] She was one of 84 students from the United States selected by the United States Department of State for placements abroad, and was assigned to Turkey as a filmmaking student.[4]

Filmography

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "The Pool Party". Tribeca Film Festival. 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-16.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b c Garcia, Ally (2019-05-03). "SW2W: Sara Zandieh". Austin Film Festival. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  3. ^ a b "Conversations Lilly Singh & Sara Zandieh for 'Doin' It'". SAG-AFTRA Foundation. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  4. ^ a b c "Fulbright 2009-2010 Grantees". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on May 13, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  5. ^ Daniel Hubschman (April 30, 2010). "Tribeca Film Festival 2010 Winners!". hollywood.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  6. ^ "When We Leave Scores Top Honors At Tribeca Film Festival". New York. April 29, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  7. ^ a b Gordon Cox (April 30, 2010). "German drama tops Tribeca awards". Variety. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  8. ^ a b "N30B Contest Winners—2009". Narrative Magazine. 3 November 2009. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  9. ^ "The Pool Party". sarazandieh.com. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  10. ^ Party USA, retrieved 2025-10-10
  11. ^ "'Doin' It' From Director and Co-Writer Sara Zandieh '11 Released In Theaters | School of the Arts". arts.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
  12. ^ The Other Zoey, Gulfstream Pictures, Luber Roklin Entertainment, 2023-11-10, retrieved 2025-10-10
  13. ^ Doin' It, Camelback Productions, Likely Story, Unicorn Island Productions, 2025-09-19, retrieved 2025-10-10
  14. ^ a b Heath, Elliot. "Sara Zandieh, SoA '12, discusses newest directorial role in NBC's 'Grosse Pointe Garden Society'". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved 2025-10-10.
  15. ^ a b c Gregg Kilday (March 18, 2010). "Tribeca fest to screen 47 shorts". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  16. ^ "Columbia University Film Festival 2010". ifccenter.com. March 18, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  17. ^ "Why Is the Fulbright Program Unique?". United States Department of State. Archived from the original on May 26, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  18. ^ "Handsome Harry". darkhorizons.com. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  19. ^ "The Pool Party | 2010 Tribeca Festival". Tribeca. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  20. ^ Grobar, Matt (16 December 2021). "'The Other Zoey': Andie MacDowell, Heather Graham & Patrick Fabian Join Rom-Com From Director Sara Zandieh". Deadline Hollywood.
  21. ^ Debruge, Peter (2024-03-14). "'Doin' It' Review: Even Educated Fleas Know Better Than Lilly Singh's Inexperienced Sex Ed Teacher". Variety. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
[edit]