Film Composer and Artist
Music that moves through
memory, body, and dream
About Me
I’m a singer, pianist, and composer based in San Francisco’s foggy Sunset District, where I live with my husband and our two young boys. My music moves between neoclassical, indie, and electronic, with a cinematic feel running through it.
I discovered composition while studying at UCLA, after a broken ankle nudged me away from dance. My dance background still shapes how I score films… I like finding moments where music can play off a movement, a line of dialogue, or a pause.
I’ve composed for narrative films, documentaries, and dance films, while also releasing solo work that blends voice, piano, and ambient textures. Scoring has become one of my favorite parts of what I do. I love discovering how music can change the way a scene feels.
I’m also the co-owner of Gooroo Music, a custom music and licensing company, where I collaborate with brands, audio engineers, and composers in the Bay Area and beyond. It’s about working with good people and making something beautiful together.
Selected Work & Recognition
The Dolphins
Best Short Documentary · Best Direction in a Short — Oceanside International Film Festival (2026)
Selected festivals: International Ocean Film Festival; Coast Film & Music Festival.
If I Were You
Best Soundtrack · Best Choreography — Cinedanza
Best Performance — International Avant-Garde Film Awards
Audience Attention Grabber — Knowbox Dance Film Festival
Standard Vision Showcase Award — LA Dance Film Festival
Honorable Mention — Dare to Dance in Public
Featured on PBS ALL ARTS and Marquee TV.
Road to L’Étape du Tour
Audience Choice Award—Narrative · Best Director—Narrative Feature (Julia Coulter) — Mystic Film Festival (2026)
Best New Hampshire Feature—Narrative · Best New Hampshire Performance (Julia Coulter) — New Hampshire Film Festival (2026)
World premiere: Cinequest. Additional selections: Bentonville; Phoenix; Napa Valley StreamFest.
Motherhood
Best Dance Film — Yucca Valley Film Festival (2025)
Critics Choice Award for Most Impactful Storytelling — AADF (2026)
Selected screenings: San Francisco Dance Film Festival; Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema; International ScreenDance Festival.
Mouthpiece
Official Selection — Palm Springs International ShortFest (2023).
Deville
Special Mention—Community Highlight — San Francisco Independent Film Festival (2026)
Additional screenings: Chicano Hollywood Film Festival; Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema; BraveMaker’s Summer Series.
Re-Entrification
Best Documentary — Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival; Vancouver Independent MovieMaker Awards (2023)
Official Selection, BraveMaker Film Fest (2024). Featured in KQED Arts.
Zoe: A Surf Story
Silver Award—Best Women Short — Independent Shorts Awards (July 2023).
Catch Me
Featured in the SFO Museum. Co-composer with Arum Rae. Directed by Francisco Cruz; produced by Jacob Jonas The Company for Films.Dance.
Mill Valley Film Festival
Composer, official festival trailer (2023).
Reflections from Filmmakers
“I love working with Sami! She has a natural and accurate sensibility to the vibe and creative direction on a wide range of collaborations we’ve worked on. I especially appreciate her lean toward nuance in soundscaping — she often creates sound bed environments that feel unexpected and add beautiful layers of depth to the music.”
— Gaby Scott, Filmmaker and Director (Zoe: A Surf Story, The Dolphins)"It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with Sami Freeman. Her attention to detail and discipline in her craft have made her an excellent collaborative partner in multiple projects. Her work — from composing music for our feature documentary, Re-Entrification, to writing and performing at various venues throughout the Bay Area — has had a profound and lasting impact. Sami is a true artist who truly cares about each project she works on and continues to show her brilliance in her work."
— Lyrical Opposition, Filmmakers (Re-entrification)“Working with Sami was a dreamlike experience! I feel very fortunate to have worked with Sami; she does a beautiful job of understanding a project and creating sound that resonates deeply. Her work as a composer played a crucial role in elevating the story and breathing life into the visuals of my film!”
— Nicole Spring, Filmmaker and Director (Motherhood)
All Film Composed by Sami Freeman
Inspired by a tender moment in bed, this short film is a love letter to mothers navigating the early days of postpartum, where exhaustion, loneliness, and love intertwine.
Zoe’s journey has led her to become a NorCal pro charger and rising star in the surf scene. At just 16 years old, Zoe was bravely charging 20 foot waves at Mavericks and showing up as a fierce competitor on the USA Jr. National Surf team.
A short documentary by Gaby Scott about the legendary Dolphin Club members, and the beauty of cold open water swimming. Festival Circuit happening now.
Awarded best soundtrack at Cinedanza festival in Italy.
Lost in the physical memories of the past, she longs to be caught, thrown, and held by her acrobatic partner.
Mill Valley Film Festival Main Trailer
My 22 minute piece, Space Bath. Filmmaker Gaby Scott edits a dreamlike sequence inspired by the music.
Custom music for Spoken Word by San Francisco poet Laureate Tongo Eisen- Martin. Excerpt from doc Re-entrification
A story of four Northern California surfers who all share a wildness and passion for the bigger days at Ocean Beach in San Francisco.
Excerpt from Re-entrification
“Coexistence” explores our complex relationship with nature, questioning whether we are in complete harmony, facing total destruction, or still striving to find balance.
Olas by Sami Freeman, performed by Sami Freeman and Phillip Peterson. Video made by Emil Tjärnström. From Emil Tjärnström in the North of Sweden. "I sat on a bus and listened to it while the winter landscape passed outside my window. I live in the north of Sweden, in the winter the sun barely touched the treetops and the low light that came and went made a poetic show."
Reentrification features insightful interviews with people who’ve lived through evictions and periods of housing insecurity.
Co-composer for song ‘Somewhere Right Now,’ to go with Penguin Random House published book ‘Somewhere Right Now’ by Kerry Docherty
Excerpt from doc Re-entrification
