Sam Avery is an award winning filmmaker and educator based in central New York with a passion for visual storytelling. After earning his MFA in Media Arts Production, Sam joined the faculty of the State University of New York, College at Cortland in the department of Communication and Media Studies where he teaches classes in Advanced Film, Advanced Documentary, Studio Television Production and Screenwriting. Sam is also the Executive / Artistic Director of the Blackbird Film Festival, an international film and arts festival based in Cortland, NY that screens over 80 independent films each season from around the world.