Sam Reetz is a writer, actor, and media maker. She is the founder of Millennial Ethics, an independent media company charting a new course for millennials with digital stories that bridge the generational divide. Her work explores the intersection of media, society, and culture, fusing her anthropology background with narrative filmmaking. She was named a 2018 Global People's Fellow during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly and is currently in development on three projects: an immersive experience, Probable Cause, exploring what it's like to be pulled over on a highway at night in Trump's America from different perspectives; a serialized episodic, Just A Second, about the impact of the opioid crisis on the youth shelter system in New York City, and an independent feature, Saudade, about the late 1960's Tropicália movement in Brazil. She is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and Wadham College/University of Oxford.
As a performer, she has trained with CAP21, T. Schreiber Studio & Conservatory, and the Atlantic Acting School. Often cast as someone who thinks for herself but also of others, her approach to characterization is through the lens of our humanity⏤its strengths and its limitations⏤a chance for audiences to relate to and empathize with the unheard stories, to see old stories in new ways, and in the process, allow us to better understand our own. Her commercial debut with Modanisa's #JustLikeYou campaign (dir. Samah Safi & Muhammad Bayazid) went viral, reaching over 1.76 million hits on YouTube. Other notable credits include: (Off-Broadway Theatre) Doris in The Owl and the Pussycat (Gloria Maddox Theatre, dir. Robert Verlaque), Georgie in Spike Heels (Gloria Maddox Theatre, dir. Robert Verlaque), Jo in Independence (CAP 21, dir. Doug Hall), Shelley in Hooters (CAP21, dir. Doug Hall), (Film/TV/Digital) producer callbacks on NBC's The Voice (Season 5), Avery Ardente in Don't Schmuck It Up (web series), Iris Keating in Not One (short), Jim Stark in Flip the Script (concept), Alexis in Black Veil (dir. Sergio Torres) , a bit-part in the upcoming independent feature, Walk With Me (dir. Isabel del Rosal), and most recently, featured in a narrative photo series, Facebook Love, for Feirstein's Graduate School of Cinema (dir. Waleed Bedour). Her portrayal of Iris Keating in Not One was nominated for Best Actress and earned Best Acting Ensemble at the 2018 Independent Shorts Awards.
Equally passionate about telling stories behind the lens, she started out with stints in publicity (Ramaa Moseley's The Brass Teapot ), development (Atlantic Pictures), and post-production (Roadside Entertainment). Fusing human stories with system stories to spark conversation beyond borders and inspire community resilience, her unique voice has been recognized by international programmers on the independent film festival circuit from California to Canada. Other notable credits include: moderator for "The Female Gaze" panel on cinematography at Imagine This Productions 2019 Girl Power Film & Media Summit; judge for Sarah Lawrence's CineFest (2018; 2019); reader for the 2018 JHRTS Pilot Competition at New York Television Festival; accredited press at the 35th Miami International Film Festival; consulting producer on the independent feature The Heart Stays (dir. Diane Fraher); moderator for the panel on "Startups Revolutionizing the Film Industry" at Imagine This Productions 2018 Girl Power Film & Media Summit; 1st AD on the narrative short, Cycle (from Anne Briggs/Marcus Johnson; DP Valentina Caniglia); production manager on TableTalk (from Fishman Pictures and FullScreen Media; 2017 SeriesFest debut and Seed&Spark's New Voice Rally finalist), and co-host with The Artist Co-Op (TAC)'s founder, Rachel Berger, for the NYC People's Hub during the 2017 Global People's Summit + Social Good.
Millennial Ethics made its formal debut at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP with their 2017 Creative>>Founders Lab summer cohort, IFP Week's Marketplace, and the second round of the 2017 Roddenberry Fellowship. Since then, the team's work has been recognized by programmers such as the Front Range International Film Festival (Official Selection: Not One), the Southern Shorts Awards (Not One: Winner, Award of Excellence (Editing, Music); Award of Merit (Cinematography, Production Design)) the Canadian and International Shorts Film Festival (Not One: Winner, Award of Distinction), the Independent Shorts Awards (Not One: Winner, Best Original Story and Best Acting Ensemble; Don't Schmuck It Up: Honorable Mention, Best Web Series/T.V. Pilot), the Miami Independent Film Festival (Official Selection: Flip the Script, Not One, and Don't Schmuck It Up), and Imagine This Women's International Film Festival (Official Selection: Don't Schmuck It Up). Millennial Ethics also consulted on the coming-of-age drama The Heart Stays in association with Amerinda, Inc. and on digital strategy and production for the global livestream of the 2018 Global People's Summit during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. Currently, the team is developing an immersive experience, Probable Cause, curating an intergenerational Instagram spotlight series, "Wavemaker of the Week", exploring partnerships for its short-form advocacy platform, Ripple Effect and digital newspaper, On The Map ( both launching 2019), and programming a live event series.
Sam is based in New York City and is a proud member of: NALIP, HRTS Associates NY (Board Member; previously JHRTS NY Chair, Graphics), Jericho Project's Young Professionals Council, Ladies of Comedy Association (NY Board Member), NYWIFT, Made in NY Media Center by IFP, and Dance Films Association. When not on-set, she also mentors a rising tide of female voices in media and entertainment with Cutter Connections.
As a performer, she has trained with CAP21, T. Schreiber Studio & Conservatory, and the Atlantic Acting School. Often cast as someone who thinks for herself but also of others, her approach to characterization is through the lens of our humanity⏤its strengths and its limitations⏤a chance for audiences to relate to and empathize with the unheard stories, to see old stories in new ways, and in the process, allow us to better understand our own. Her commercial debut with Modanisa's #JustLikeYou campaign (dir. Samah Safi & Muhammad Bayazid) went viral, reaching over 1.76 million hits on YouTube. Other notable credits include: (Off-Broadway Theatre) Doris in The Owl and the Pussycat (Gloria Maddox Theatre, dir. Robert Verlaque), Georgie in Spike Heels (Gloria Maddox Theatre, dir. Robert Verlaque), Jo in Independence (CAP 21, dir. Doug Hall), Shelley in Hooters (CAP21, dir. Doug Hall), (Film/TV/Digital) producer callbacks on NBC's The Voice (Season 5), Avery Ardente in Don't Schmuck It Up (web series), Iris Keating in Not One (short), Jim Stark in Flip the Script (concept), Alexis in Black Veil (dir. Sergio Torres) , a bit-part in the upcoming independent feature, Walk With Me (dir. Isabel del Rosal), and most recently, featured in a narrative photo series, Facebook Love, for Feirstein's Graduate School of Cinema (dir. Waleed Bedour). Her portrayal of Iris Keating in Not One was nominated for Best Actress and earned Best Acting Ensemble at the 2018 Independent Shorts Awards.
Equally passionate about telling stories behind the lens, she started out with stints in publicity (Ramaa Moseley's The Brass Teapot ), development (Atlantic Pictures), and post-production (Roadside Entertainment). Fusing human stories with system stories to spark conversation beyond borders and inspire community resilience, her unique voice has been recognized by international programmers on the independent film festival circuit from California to Canada. Other notable credits include: moderator for "The Female Gaze" panel on cinematography at Imagine This Productions 2019 Girl Power Film & Media Summit; judge for Sarah Lawrence's CineFest (2018; 2019); reader for the 2018 JHRTS Pilot Competition at New York Television Festival; accredited press at the 35th Miami International Film Festival; consulting producer on the independent feature The Heart Stays (dir. Diane Fraher); moderator for the panel on "Startups Revolutionizing the Film Industry" at Imagine This Productions 2018 Girl Power Film & Media Summit; 1st AD on the narrative short, Cycle (from Anne Briggs/Marcus Johnson; DP Valentina Caniglia); production manager on TableTalk (from Fishman Pictures and FullScreen Media; 2017 SeriesFest debut and Seed&Spark's New Voice Rally finalist), and co-host with The Artist Co-Op (TAC)'s founder, Rachel Berger, for the NYC People's Hub during the 2017 Global People's Summit + Social Good.
Millennial Ethics made its formal debut at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP with their 2017 Creative>>Founders Lab summer cohort, IFP Week's Marketplace, and the second round of the 2017 Roddenberry Fellowship. Since then, the team's work has been recognized by programmers such as the Front Range International Film Festival (Official Selection: Not One), the Southern Shorts Awards (Not One: Winner, Award of Excellence (Editing, Music); Award of Merit (Cinematography, Production Design)) the Canadian and International Shorts Film Festival (Not One: Winner, Award of Distinction), the Independent Shorts Awards (Not One: Winner, Best Original Story and Best Acting Ensemble; Don't Schmuck It Up: Honorable Mention, Best Web Series/T.V. Pilot), the Miami Independent Film Festival (Official Selection: Flip the Script, Not One, and Don't Schmuck It Up), and Imagine This Women's International Film Festival (Official Selection: Don't Schmuck It Up). Millennial Ethics also consulted on the coming-of-age drama The Heart Stays in association with Amerinda, Inc. and on digital strategy and production for the global livestream of the 2018 Global People's Summit during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. Currently, the team is developing an immersive experience, Probable Cause, curating an intergenerational Instagram spotlight series, "Wavemaker of the Week", exploring partnerships for its short-form advocacy platform, Ripple Effect and digital newspaper, On The Map ( both launching 2019), and programming a live event series.
Sam is based in New York City and is a proud member of: NALIP, HRTS Associates NY (Board Member; previously JHRTS NY Chair, Graphics), Jericho Project's Young Professionals Council, Ladies of Comedy Association (NY Board Member), NYWIFT, Made in NY Media Center by IFP, and Dance Films Association. When not on-set, she also mentors a rising tide of female voices in media and entertainment with Cutter Connections.