Marjan Safinia

Director & Producer | Chief of Social Instigation

Marjan Safinia

If you need to get something done in the documentary world, Marjan can tell you who you should talk to, how you should go about it and what you’re likely to accomplish. She’s probably one of the funniest people you’ll meet, and the mere mention of her name elicits coos of adoration. People who want her on their team have to stand in line. Lucky for us (and you), we were at the front.

Don’t waste any time trying to pronounce her funny Iranian name. Her teachers in London used to (incorrectly) call her “margin” but she prefers “Marj,” like The Simpsons.

Looking for the grown-up stuff? Here are some career highlights:

  • Award-winning filmmaker whose documentaries have played at over 70 international film festivals including opening the pre-eminent US documentary festival AFI: Docs. Films have been broadcast in the US, UK, New Zealand, Jamaica and across the Arab world.
  • President of the Board of Directors of the International Documentary Association, a 34-year old nonprofit dedicated to serving the needs of documentary filmmakers at every professional level with an annual budget of over $5million.
  • Frequent jury member for documentary awards and festivals. Curator of the popular ArcLight Documentary Series in Los Angeles.
  • Outreach chair for the award-winning South Robertson Neighborhoods Council, a grassroots organization chartered and funded by the City of Los Angeles to promote citizen participation in government.