Samantha Wan​

BIO: Samantha Wan made her television debut as the co-creator, star, and director on the CityTV series Second Jen. The show earned nominations for the WGC Newcomer Award and the Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Series.

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She has since directed on Boat Rocker’s BAFTA Award-winning hit The Next Step and is currently directing multiple episodes of the forthcoming spinoff Cheer. Samantha was also recently nominated for a DGC Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Family Series on CBC’s Gangnam Project.

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She has garnered a slew of wins and nominations for her digital series directing work, including CSA-nominated Space Janitors, for which she won Best Director, Comedy at Rio Webfest, as well as Dying Seconds, which is now the first ever scripted web series to be an official partner of Just for Laughs. Other web series include Lady Ada’s Secret Society, where she won best Director at Sydney Film Festival, and Rockie Award-nominated Sudden Master.

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Samantha made her TV movie directorial debut with Love at Sky Garden (MarVista/Neshama), which garnered a CSA nomination, and has since directed Wedding Whirlwind and Head Over Heels for Fireside Pictures.

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Samantha is an alumna of the acclaimed Warner Brothers Access Directors Program, as well as The Women in the Director Chair. A committed advocate for diversity and authentic representation in media, Reel World Film Festival awarded her the "Trailblazer Award" for her contributions and advocacy in the industry. Samantha continues to build a body of work that blends sharp comedy, heartfelt storytelling, and a fresh point of view.