Negine Jasmine Sekandari is an actress, filmmaker, photographer, and writer based in Los Angeles. She was raised in Sedona, Arizona but her ancestral roots in Afghanistan inspire her storytelling in which she blends humor and romanticism with community and beauty at its heart.
She debuted her very first hour of comedy, Did You Mean Engine?, as part of the Elysian Theater’s annual 2023 Spaghetti Festival. She co-curated a film festival in Los Angeles, where she premiered Fariha, a short film that serves as a moving photograph, depicting the relationship between her and her grandmother. The film is currently making its way through the international film festival circuit.
In addition to her work as a filmmaker, Negine is the founder of Space for Us Journal, an online web-series highlighting passionate women of color pursuing their creative dreams. She is also the writer, co-director, and star of Haram Salami, a short film that will be premiering soon.
Negine follows the teachings of filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, who described art-making as a responsibility, an analysis of individual human experience, and a way to find oneself within that subjectivity.
To inquire about booking Negine for film projects, headshot sessions, weddings, events, couples photos, or anything else please email negine.jas@gmail.com
On shooting love and people:
I believe that being in front of a camera can be an extremely vulnerable practice. That’s why I do my best at making my subjects or models as comfortable as possible when I’m capturing their essence with either my digital or film camera. When I’m shooting, I try to capture the intimate and in-between moments: the moments when you’re looking at someone you love and forget there’s even a lens on you. The moments right after you opened your heart to each other in front of all your family and friends - and the wave of relief crashes over you because nothing feels as right as lovin’ your person proudly. I’m there to capture you honestly, in your truest and softest form. Whether it be under the moon or when the sun is glowing at its best; I’m there to bottle up that forever feeling so it’s something you can return to every time you look back at the photos that were taken from a very beautiful time in your life.
I believe that being in front of a camera can be an extremely vulnerable practice. That’s why I do my best at making my subjects or models as comfortable as possible when I’m capturing their essence with either my digital or film camera. When I’m shooting, I try to capture the intimate and in-between moments: the moments when you’re looking at someone you love and forget there’s even a lens on you. The moments right after you opened your heart to each other in front of all your family and friends - and the wave of relief crashes over you because nothing feels as right as lovin’ your person proudly. I’m there to capture you honestly, in your truest and softest form. Whether it be under the moon or when the sun is glowing at its best; I’m there to bottle up that forever feeling so it’s something you can return to every time you look back at the photos that were taken from a very beautiful time in your life.