Sam Fleischner's illustrious directing career began with the production of a micro-budget feature film, Wah Do Dem, which was shot on location on a cruise ship and across Jamaica. This cinematic masterpiece premiered at the 2009 Los Angeles film festival, where it garnered the esteemed Jury prize for best feature film. Factory 25 subsequently released the film the following year, and it went on to feature on several top 10 lists.
Renowned film critic Amy Taubin of Film Comment praised the film, dubbing it "one of the best debuts of the 21st century." Fleischner's sophomore effort, Stand Clear of the Closing Doors, premiered at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival, where it won a special Jury prize for best film. This critically acclaimed film also received accolades at Deauville and Athens, and earned a nomination for best female performance at the Independent Spirit Awards. Stephen Holden of the New York Times lauded the film, describing it as a "small miracle of a film" and including it in his top 10 list for 2014. Furthermore, the National Board of Review recognized Stand Clear of the Closing Doors as one of the top ten independent films of that year.
In addition to his work in feature films, Fleischner has also ventured into the realm of documentaries, commercials, and music videos. He has directed award-winning projects for a variety of artists, including MGMT, Santigold, and Panda Bear. More of his work can be viewed at howfollowswhat.net.
Fleischner's most recent endeavor is the indie comedy, Donald Cried, which he doubled as a producer and DP for. This film, which is set to be released this spring with The Orchard, is the latest addition to his impressive body of work.
