Biography

Sanam Erfani is an award winning actress. Trilingual in Farsi, English, and Spanish, she graduated Columbia University's MFA Acting program; and was mentored by the late-great Kristin Linklater, and La Mama Theater founder, Ellen Stewart. During her MFA, she won the prestigious Bob Hope Fellowship for performative excellence.

In underg, she studied Performance Arts at San Francisco State University, and was mentored by three-time Tony Award Nominee (for "Quilters"), Barbara Damashek. Sanam earned a First Place in Novice Nationals in Dramatic Interp, won Gold (First Place) that same year at Phi Rho Pi Nationals for her Dramatic Interp of Joyce Carol Oates' monologues and Bronze (third place) for prose interp of "The Hanging" by Albert Camus. She received Southern California Educational Theater Award for "Best Supporting Actress" for her portrayal of Leanne in a poignant play entitled, "A Piece of My Heart."

Also a playwright and screenwriter, she co-wrote a series (semi-finalist at the Austin Film Fest). Produced plays include: "Attractions" (premiere: NY Theater Fest), "Hush: Inside the Waiting Womb" (premiere: Players Club NYC & Hudson Theater LA), 12-character solo show "Last Import Soliloquy" (Joyce SoHo NYC), and an original adaptation of Ibsen's "A Doll's House" and Strindberg's "Miss Julie" entitled "La Liberata" (Dixon Place NYC).

She has performed in Nine Award Winning and Official Selection films and has been featured as a performer at 39 Film Festivals to date. Recent film performances: "The World Drops Dead" (Winner Best Director at Knox Film Fest, Winner Best Actor Lindsey Film Festival, Official Selection Atlanta Film Fest 2025); Bharat Film Festival Winner "The Refuge" (Official Selection at Five International Film Fests ), multi-award winning feature "Imitation Girl" (available on Amazon), award winning short film "Scheherazade" (Winner: Champs-Elysées Film Festival, Winner: DC Shorts), and "Hasti Joon" (Official Selection at Five Film Festivals).

Active in New York Theater and Experimental Theater, off and off-off Broadway Credits include: "Cleopatra" in Shakespeare's Play at Lenfest Theater, "Babette's Feast" (Connelly Theater NYC), "The Fall" (Flamboyan Theater NYC), "Miss Lilly Gets Boned" (New Ohio Theater NYC), and "Cats Don't Grin" (Cherry Lane NYC).

Her work is centered on passionately creating and playing dynamic roles in nuanced story-lines with seamless naturalism and grounded authenticity.
- IMDb mini biography by: Sanamaste