Samir Mayhua is a Peruvian filmmaker based in New York City who works across fiction and documentary. As a director, cinematographer, and editor, he has created and collaborated on projects ranging from TV pilots and music videos to documentaries and short films. Whether working with a full crew or building a film from the ground up through a more resourceful, guerrilla approach, Samir adapts to the needs of each project while keeping his work grounded in realism, intimacy, and the belief that strong storytelling does not require excess—only intention.
Raised in urban Lima, Samir grew up closely observing the contrasts, contradictions, and everyday realities that shape how people live side by side. Early on, he was equally drawn to cinema and literature—films such as Cinema Paradiso and short stories like Los Gallinazos Sin Plumas sparked a lasting connection to storytelling as a way of capturing what he saw around him with honesty and feeling. He moved to New York City at the age of sixteen and later graduated with a BFA in Film and Video Production from The City College of New York (CCNY).
As a Director of Photography, Samir has shot projects across a wide spectrum of genres—including crime, drama, coming-of-age, romance, and experimental work—always adapting his visual approach to the emotional needs of the story. His documentary work includes culturally focused projects in Argentina as well as community-based work in Bolivia. Alongside this, he has collaborated on music videos, bringing a flexible eye for aesthetics, rhythm, and atmosphere.
Across all formats, Samir is drawn to work that prioritizes truth over spectacle, with a focus on the individual and their relationship to the world around them. His films engage with reality, social contradictions, and personal perspective, often seeking to amplify voices that are overlooked, neglected, or underrepresented. Alongside cinema, his practice extends into analog photography, music, and writing—fields he approaches as complementary forms of observation: the external world, personal experience, and the space where both intersect. Whether directing his own projects or collaborating with others, his work remains grounded in honesty, exploration, and a deep human sensibility.
