Sam Garbarski was born on February 13, 1948, in Munich, Germany. In 1970, he founded the advertising agency Garbarski Euro Rscg, where he directed over 50 commercials, many of which received prestigious awards at international festivals such as Cannes, New York, and London.
Since 1997, Garbarski has directed numerous short films, including "La Dinde", "La Vie, la Mort, le Foot", and "Joyeux Noël Rachid", all of which gained significant success at festivals and received widespread television broadcast.
In 2003, Garbarski's first feature film, "Le Tango des Rashevski", was selected for the Jerusalem International Film Festival and won the Jerusalem Municipality Prize for Best Feature Film. The film also received the Jean Carmet Award for the performances of Tania Garbarski and Rudi Rosenberg, and was part of the official selection at over twenty international festivals.
In 2007, Garbarski's second feature film, "Irina Palm", was selected for more than thirty festivals, including the Berlinale and Karlovy Vary, and won numerous prestigious awards, including the David di Donatello, Globo d'Oro, Silver Ribbon, and best European film and director awards. The film was distributed in over forty countries.
In 2010, "Quartier Lointain" was part of the Rome Film Festival selection and was distributed in over twenty countries.
In 2013, "Vijay and I" premiered at the Locarno Film Festival and was distributed in over twenty countries.
In 2017, "Bye, bye Germany" was the opening film of the Berlinale Special Galas and was part of the selection at more than thirty festivals. The film won several awards, including the Golden Silk Road Award for best feature film in China, the San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award, and the Norway Audience Award. The film was distributed in over thirty countries.
Throughout his career, Garbarski has demonstrated his versatility and talent as a director, successfully transitioning from commercials to short films and feature films, and receiving critical acclaim and numerous awards for his work.
