About
Samuel Barnes is an emerging Australian filmmaker based in Djaara Country, Victoria. Born and raised in Eora/Sydney, Sam is a Media Arts and Production graduate from the University of Technology Sydney. In 2013, he studied abroad at the University of Texas at Austin and in 2019, he moved to Naarm/Melbourne to complete his Masters of Narrative Film and Television at the Victorian College of Arts. From 2022 to 2024, Sam worked with the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) as part of their video design team. Since then, he has been working as a freelance filmmaker and editor.
In 2025, Sam produced the ACMI commissioned animation, Baan Biik Woora Woora in collaboration with Kulin artist Mick Harding, for the First Nations Welcome Installation and his short film, Being Here, had it’s Australian premiere at the Reel Good Film Festival. In 2026, Sam received support from Regional Arts Victoria to develop his short film, Lights Out, which has been made in collaboration with the Castlemaine Men’s basketball community.
Blending fiction with a documentary style, Sam's filmmaking practice explores themes of identity and place. With his slow and subtle cinematic approach, Sam’s films give insight into different ways of seeing and understanding our place within the world. As he continues to hone his craft in storytelling, Sam hopes to make films that inspire a sense of empathy and wonder in his audiences.
sghbarnes@gmail.com
+61 401 799 945
© 2026
