Production house Sam I Am Steps Up Roster With Five Fresh Directors

Full service production house Sam I Am has announced the arrival of five new commercial directors including writer-director Aimée-Lee Xu Hsien Curran (pictured), designer-turned-director Sinéad McDevitt along with directors Anita Lee, Dominic Allen and Joris Noordenbos.

Writer-director Aimée-Lee Xu Hsien Curran creates work defined by rich visuals across both comedy and drama. She has directed commercials for H&M, CommBank, PayPal and Ad Standards, along with music videos for artists Lime Cordiale and Aria-award nominees Thundamentals, Hellions and Ruby Boots.

Curran’s work has screened at over 25 international film festivals, her short Jump winning Best Short Film at the Palm Springs International ShortFest. Web series SYD2030, that Curran directed, won Best International Web Series at the LA Film, TV & Webisode Festival, and was a finalist at both the Melbourne and Dublin WebFest.

Sinéad McDevitt is a Dublin-born director with an award-winning background in graphic design and art direction. She has directed campaigns for Rebel and AV Jennings; written and directed award-winning short films including Ballsy and dance/vfx fusion The Ocean; and created long-form TV series The Love Experiment having won second place at the MIPFormats 2019 competition in Cannes. The series is based on her short documentary How to Fall in Love with a Stranger, putting the ‘36 questions’ psychology experiment to the test.

Hosting live onstage at the Opera House for TEDxSydney two years in a row, McDevitt also acted as the organisation’s ‘Fast Ideas’ curator (a 30-second onstage pitching competition). TED in the US then commissioned her to create its first-ever original short film program for the annual week-long TED event in Vancouver. In addition to short-form work, McDevitt is currently developing her first feature screenplay – a musical dramedy called Edie, whose original treatment placed in the top five for the ABC’s Girls series.

Inspired by telling honest and compelling stories that investigate our shared human experience, Anita Lee is known for her focus on extracting raw, authentic performances. She has directed projects for brands Uniqlo, Qantas, Travelodge Hotels, CGU Insurance, Dulux, TAL Insurance, Macquarie University and SBS.

An Australian-born Chinese director, Lee is committed to championing diversity on screen. Her debut short on loneliness and finding self-identity, Only One, screened at the Palm Springs Int. Shortfest, Rhode Island Film Festival, St Louis Film Festival and Miami Short Film Festival. Her second short Here is Now premiered at the For Film’s Sake Festival in Australia.

Passionate about social justice, Dominic Allen recently directed and produced critically-acclaimed virtual reality documentary, Carriberrie, a celebration of Indigenous Australian song and dance. His work with migrants also led him to partner with Sudanese rapper Bangs, which resulted in him directing the viral hit Take You To The Movies (securing 20 million views). He has directed TVCs for SBS, The Australian Ballet and Save The Children.

Allen’s documentary work with Kimberly Aboriginal youth organisation Yiriman saw him write and direct the Dendy Best Australian Short film finalist, Two Men, which helped him take home the 2009 MIFF Australian Emerging Filmmaker award and the Inside Film Rising Talent Prize. In 2011, he produced Tribeca award-winning feature film Grey Matter with Rwandan director Kivu Ruhorahoza.

Celebrating the beauty in the everyday through his playful approach, director Joris Noordenbos has worked on campaigns around the world for brands IKEA (Norway), JA Hotels (Dubai), Nikon (Kenya), Ahold (USA and Kenya), Phillips (China), Maggi (Singapore), Dutch Lady Milk (Singapore & Thailand), Dr.Ci.Labo & Labolabo (Thailand), JDE Coffee (Eastern Europe, South Africa & Russia) and ABN Amro (Netherlands).

In addition to his commercial work, Noordenbos has made several short films. He also directed episodes of Spangas, a daily Dutch children’s television show centred on high school youth. Based in Amsterdam, he regularly works on projects in Asia, Europe, Australia and Russia.

Sam I Am founder Samantha Simpson says: “I’m super excited to bring together such a talented and diverse line-up of emerging directors. As we continue to expand on our directorial offering, alongside our stable of established photographers, we are selecting storytellers that each bring something unique and special to the roster. I can’t wait to introduce them to our clients and collaborators.”