Sam Permar makes stories that bridge dark comedy with body horror as he explores the strange nuances of being human. Growing up in the woods of Martha’s Vineyard, he didn’t have a camera but made movies anyway by stapling together stacks of paper and drawing storyboards of action heroines, imagining himself in those worlds. His active imagination quickly led him to start doing theater and he eventually went on to get his BFA in drama at NYU Tisch, where he studied Lee Strasberg’s method acting and began writing screenplays and shooting micro budget films in Brooklyn.

 

Sam’s background in acting enhances his films by giving them a character driven focus, mixing naturalistic performances with off kilter, surreal elements inspired by his love of horror. He uses this combination of styles to explore flawed characters who navigate the world “wrong” in order to succeed.

 

Sam’s films have screened at Dances With Films: NY, NewFest, No Budge, and The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival. His 2024 film Benny Goes Method (co-directed by Nina Zehri) won the audience award for Best Student Short at Another Hole in the Head, and his body horror short Tick was featured at United Talent Agency's The New Wave showcase in 2025. Sam earned his MFA in film at Emerson College and is in post production for his queer dark comedy short Third.