Sanam Erfani is a renowned actress, proficient in three languages: Farsi, English, and Spanish. She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Acting from Columbia University, where she was mentored by the late Kristin Linklater and Ellen Stewart, founder of La Mama Theater. During her time at Columbia, she won the prestigious Bob Hope Fellowship for her exceptional performance skills.
Prior to her MFA, Sanam studied Performance Arts at San Francisco State University, where she was mentored by three-time Tony Award nominee Barbara Damashek. She achieved remarkable success in her undergraduate studies, earning First Place in Novice Nationals for Dramatic Interp, Gold at Phi Rho Pi Nationals for her portrayal of Joyce Carol Oates' monologues, and Bronze for her interpretation of Albert Camus' "The Hanging". Sanam also received the Southern California Educational Theater Award for "Best Supporting Actress" for her poignant performance as Leanne in "A Piece of My Heart".
As a playwright and screenwriter, Sanam co-wrote a series that was a semi-finalist at the Austin Film Festival. Her produced plays include "Attractions", which premiered at the NY Theater Fest, "Hush: Inside the Waiting Womb", which premiered at the Players Club NYC and Hudson Theater LA, the 12-character solo show "Last Import Soliloquy", which premiered at Joyce SoHo NYC, and an original adaptation of Ibsen's "A Doll's House" and Strindberg's "Miss Julie" entitled "La Liberata", which premiered at Dixon Place NYC.
Sanam has performed in nine award-winning and official selection films and has been featured as a performer at thirty-nine film festivals to date. Her recent film performances include "The World Drops Dead", which won Best Director at the Knox Film Fest and Best Actor at the Lindsey Film Festival, and was an official selection at the Atlanta Film Fest 2025. Other notable films include "The Refuge", which won the Bharat Film Festival and was an official selection at five international film festivals, "Imitation Girl", a multi-award-winning feature available on Amazon, "Scheherazade", a short film that won the Champs-Elysées Film Festival and DC Shorts, and "Hasti Joon", an official selection at five film festivals.
Sanam is an active member of the New York Theater and Experimental Theater communities, with off and off-off Broadway credits including "Cleopatra" in Shakespeare's Play at Lenfest Theater, "Babette's Feast" at the Connelly Theater NYC, "The Fall" at the Flamboyan Theater NYC, "Miss Lilly Gets Boned" at the New Ohio Theater NYC, and "Cats Don't Grin" at the Cherry Lane NYC.
Throughout her career, Sanam has been driven by her passion for creating and playing dynamic roles in nuanced storylines with seamless naturalism and grounded authenticity.
