Sam Citron

Sam Citron graduated from Boston University where his 16mm comedy short, Routine, was selected for the permanent archive and is screened annually for introductory film classes.  Moving to Los Angeles after graduation, Sam landed assistant film editing jobs with Academy Award winning film editor Anne V. Coates and Academy Award nominee  C. Timothy O’Meara.  After working as first assistant film editor on two of his films, Academy Award nominated writer-director John Milius hired Sam to edit his Emmy winning mini-series, Rough Riders.

Academy Award winning documentary director Davis Guggenheim hired Sam to edit on the feature documentaries, The First Year, a winner of the Peabody Award, and Waiting for Superman, named Critic’s Choice and National Board of Review best documentary.  Guggenheim also hired Sam to story produce, edit, and write President Obama’s voice over for the Stewart family segment of American Stories, short films which were included in the president’s infomercial during the 2008 campaign.

Multi-Emmy winning sports documentarian Jonathan Hock hired Sam to edit the AFI Audience Award winning feature documentary, Through the Fire, as well as the Emmy nominated, The Streak.  Most recently, Sam completed editing the feature documentary, Long Shot: The Kevin Laue Story, about the Bay area high school basketball player who was born with one arm.

Sam has also edited several feature length comedies including the country music mockumentary, Dill Scallion, a stand out at Slamdance and the SXSW Film Festival, as well as the hybrid-improvisational documentary of the demolition derby scene, Last Man Running, an Audience Award winner at the Los Angeles Film Festival.

Sam directed the comedy, In Transition, which was selected for the USA comedy shorts program at the AFI Film Festival.  He also directed the Emmy nominated sports documentary, Champions in Kentucky, about the Breeders’ Cup Championship, for NBC.

Sam has story produced, written, and edited several short documentaries for explore.org, a philanthropic arm of the Annenberg Foundation whose mission is to champion the selfless acts of others and inspire lifelong learning.  Included among these films are Raindrops Over Rwanda, examining the Rwandan genocide of 1994, and Traveling with Jihad, an inspiring journey through the Middle East that uncovers the deep connections between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.  Both Raindrops Over Rwanda and Traveling with Jihad were screened at the SXSW Film Festival as well as the venerable Italian documentary film festival, Festival dei Popoli, where Traveling with Jihad played closing night.  In the coming months, Traveling with Jihad will be presented as part of a college tour focusing on understanding Islam.  Harvard, MIT, Princeton, and Georgetown are among the universities who have requested a screening.

Currently, Sam is story producing, writing, and editing a new documentary for explore.org about Detroit and the inspirational renaissance that is taking place in one of America’s most troubled cities.