Q&A with Filmmaker Sam Davis
Sam Davis
Sam Davis is an Oscar-nominated multi-hyphenate filmmaker with a foundation in cinematography. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, he produced, shot, and edited the 2019 Academy Award-winning Netflix short Period. End of Sentence. His work has since been honored at Sundance, Tribeca, and SXSW. In 2023, Sam earned an Emmy nomination for his cinematography on the SXSW-winning New York Times Op-Doc Long Line of Ladies, which he also produced. He went on to produce and shoot the Disney+ short Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó, nominated for an Academy Award in 2024, and served as cinematographer on Sean Wang’s Sundance Audience Award winner Dìdi. He is the director of The Singers, which is screening at the Bushwick Film Festival.
This Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series
The Singers (2025)
What inspired you to create this film, and how did the initial idea come to you?
Long story short, I picked up my phone after reading the short story in George Saunders A Swim in a Pond in the Rain and the first thing on my feed happened to be a viral video of Mike (the eventual bartender) busking in the subway station in NYC. I immediately flashed on a modern adaptation with a bar filled with little-known singing talents and other diamond in the rough personalities from around the internet and set out to make it happen.
Why does this story need to be told now?
The Singers is an unexpected crowd-pleaser but with an important and timely message about masculinity and the power of connection through vulnerability and art.
Were there any films or directors that influenced your approach to this project?
David Lynch, the Coen Brothers, Robert Altman
How do you approach storytelling in your films? What’s your process for developing a script or concept?
This film was made without a script and with a cast comprised of first-timers discovered on TikTok and Youtube. Each cast member was essentially asked to play themselves, which helped the dialogue feel very true and lend the film a distinct hybrid quality.
How do you feel about your film being screened in front of a festival audience?
Whenever I see the film play in front of an audience, I'm especially proud of the cast who took huge leaps to be in a movie for the first time. I love seeing the gifts of these diamond in the rough talents on full display for an audience to experience and celebrate.
This Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series