Biography

Samuel Gonzalez Jr. is an Emmy-nominated and award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, editor, author, and Iraq War veteran whose work blends grounded human drama with visceral, provocative genre storytelling. His latest feature, Stiletto, is a neon-soaked erotic slasher starring Colleen Camp, Gigi Gustin, Steven Blackehart, and Mia Challis. Acquired by The Horror Section under the Eli Roth Presents banner, the film is slated for a theatrical release in 2026. His newest short film, The Review, was selected to make its world premiere at the 26th Annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival.

Gonzalez made his feature directorial debut as co-director of the 2022 horror-thriller The Retaliators, which received a worldwide theatrical release following its successful festival run. He later directed the Cineverse and Screambox anthology feature Night of the Missing, which spent a month among Screambox’s five most-watched titles, as well as the horror drama The Plastic Men, starring William Fichtner. His relationship with Screamfest began with the premiere of his early short film Woodland Heights and has continued throughout a career devoted to bold, character-driven genre filmmaking.

His distinct cinematic voice first caught the attention of legendary producer Edward R. Pressman, who optioned Gonzalez’s published novel The Chords of WAR. Inspired by Gonzalez’s experience forming a rock band while serving overseas during the Iraq War, the semi-autobiographical novel was praised by acclaimed writer and show runner Graham Yost as "brilliant." A graduate of ArtCenter College of Design, Gonzalez also teaches screenwriting at UCLA.

Whether working in horror, psychological thrillers, or deeply personal drama, he approaches every project with the same goal: to create stylish, emotionally grounded films that entertain an audience while leaving behind something difficult to shake.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous