Sagi Sree Hari Varma is a filmmaker working across fiction, documentary, and commercials. He is an alumnus of the Oscars Gold Rising program and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Mentor-Protégé Initiative, where he trained under Oscar-nominated filmmaker Theodore Melfi.
His directing credits include campaigns for the FIFA World Cup and the United Nations, plus a short film shot on the stages of Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. His short films have screened and won awards on every continent except Antarctica, which he intends to fix as soon as a penguin returns his call.
In 2026, he received the Iconic Pride of India Award and was recognized by the Minister of Cinema, India for his contributions to filmmaking on the world stage. He mentions this at family gatherings with great reluctance and extreme frequency.
He has worked below-the-line with Ted Melfi, David Fincher, David Shane, Jim Jenkins, and Trent O'Donnell, and contributed visual effects to two Super Bowl commercials, Let's Grab a Beer and Paramount+.
He is currently developing his first feature through his production company, Achilles' Heel Films. It sits somewhere between science fiction and horror, and he is still workshopping a one-liner.
USC Cinematic Arts | UCLA | Gerasimov Institute of cinematography
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Ted Melfi,
Oscar Nominated Director
"His portfolio speaks to his creativity and the diverse international experience he was able to accumulate as a starting out filmmaker"
Andy Thompson,
Co Producer - Oppenheimer
"I have confidence in Film abilities and his upcoming success"
Ned Price,
Former VP,
Warner Bros. Studios
"I think he will
go very far,
Full confidence
in the guy"
Randy Haberkamp
Former VP,
OSCARS
"He will deliver a product and work that you will
be very proud of,
I recommend him highly"
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