NYWIFT Blog

Welcome to NYWIFT, Samantha Herrera!

Samantha Herrera is a queer Filipina artist born and raised in Queens, NY. Her roots began in theatre with training at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, The Neighborhood Playhouse, and LAMDA.

Saint Vegas is the first narrative film she has directed, written, and produced. It will internationally premiere in the Philippines hosted by Cine Balikbayan. This November, she played one of the lead roles in Diwata, directed by Shea Formanes. 

Aside from filmmaking, Samantha works at her alma mater – The Neighborhood Playhouse – and runs a Filipino food pop-up business with her partner. 

In our interview, Samantha discussed the mentors who shaped her artistry, her inspirations, and her upcoming work.

Welcome to NYWIFT! Please introduce yourself briefly to our readers. 

My name is Samantha Herrera (she/her) and I’m proudly born and raised from Queens, New York City. I’m a queer Filipina American actor/director.

When I’m not working on a creative project, I love taking care of my two orange tabbies, exploring the world, and being in nature. In addition, my partner & I run a food pop-up business, Tikman Mo Ko fueled by our love of Filipino cuisine. 

What brings you to NYWIFT?

For the past decade, I’ve been focusing on sharpening my skills as a filmmaker. With the release of my first narrative short, Saint Vegas, it felt like the right time to join NYWIFT and expand my community. 

After starting your career in acting, how did you become interested in directing and writing? 

When Blockbuster was still around and Netflix had mail-ins, that became the start of my love for film. Un Chien Andalou (1929), The Double Life of Veronique (1991), and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) were some films that sparked my curiosity of storytelling.

My mentor, Todd Susman, was the first teacher to truly expose my love for directing. We had on-camera classes at The Neighborhood Playhouse that gave us a playground to explore different roles behind the camera. I found myself signing up to direct again and again.

From then on, I began directing plays before I moved on to film and hopefully my first TV show in the not-too-far future. However, theatre is a different kind of storytelling magic that I hope to come back to. 

Can you tell us a bit about the process of making your short film, Saint Vegas? 

It began as a feature script while I was living in Los Angeles and fueled by my creative frustration, feeling homesick, and grappling with my sexuality. It wasn’t until a few years after I decided I wanted to put it onscreen and the short film medium felt like the most possible path.

Simultaneously, I took writing classes with Marc Lieberman from NYU that helped me finish the script, along with endless re-writes after having it read by trusted peers and out loud to an audience. The short form challenged me in a way of choosing the scenes and dialogue from the feature that felt like the pivotal moment for the main character.

It was also the bar scene between two strangers, Anastasia and the client Carmen, who were polar opposites and end up forming a connection by the end that was the most exciting moment for me to explore at the time. 

What drew you to working with stage combat?

It was a job that found me at the perfect time. After years of working odd jobs, teaching at my alma mater as a Stage Combat Teacher Assistant alongside Fight Director Brad Lemons was a dream. Working with Brad was a masterclass in itself for both acting and directing. Although the main focus is stage fighting, every class at The Neighborhood Playhouse is designed to make you a better actor.

His knowledge about stagecraft and the way he communicated with actors were valuable learning lessons. He gave artists the space to fail big, to make mistakes and look like an absolute fool without feeling like one. It was a class filled with joy and a true sense of ‘play’ that never felt like work. 

As an actor, what kinds of projects excite you the most? 

At this moment, I’ve been leaning into work that dives into my cultural roots and what it is to be Filipina American. Diwata, directed and written by Shea Formanes, is a fantasy/drama in which I’m playing one of the leads alongside Rachel Alejandro and Amor Owens. I’m excited to experiment with the physical aspect of this character and film with SFX makeup for the first time. It is an absolute honor to work with these incredible Filipina artists and I cannot wait!

Learn more about Samantha Herrera’s film Saint Vegas and connect with her on Instagram at @saintvegasfilm and @hellosam27.

(All images courtesy of Samantha Herrera)