About
Every journey has its twists, and mine has been anything but linear.
Back in the early 90s, I started off producing and hosting a daily jazz radio show—a way to share the music I loved and connect with an audience. Around the same time, I was organizing large-scale action sports events in Lebanon, long before the digital era made audience building easier. We relied on newsletters, TV, newspapers, and in-person energy. That period taught me the fundamentals: how to build community, how to create an experience, and how to leave a lasting impression. People still talk to me about those events.
In the early 2000s, I tried to get into film. After finishing my MBA at INSEAD, I flew to Los Angeles and attended the American Film Market, eager to understand the industry and find my way in. But I wasn’t ready to make the leap. I returned to Lebanon and Europe, took another path, and spent the next couple of decades leading international businesses, building startups, raising capital, and mentoring entrepreneurs. I had the kind of career that ticks all the boxes. But it wasn’t fulfilling.
Eventually, I stepped away. I wanted to create something that mattered—not just succeed by someone else’s definition. I didn’t chase a passion project. I chose meaning.
The through-line was always media. I’d seen how powerful it could be—as a radio host, as a live event producer, and later, during COVID, as the host of The Wine Hour, a live online talk show. After nearly 100 interviews, I realized it wasn’t just about food or wine—it was about people. Their hopes, their fears, and what drives them.
Then, in 2024, the Hezbollah-Israel war changed everything. Lebanon was shattered. A million people displaced. My friend and DOP, Greg Demarque, told me: “We need to film.” I wasn’t sure. But something pulled me in. We started documenting. What we witnessed—the rawness, the pain, the quiet strength of people who had lost everything—reshaped everything I thought this work was about. Their stories deserved to be told.
That experience crystallized my understanding: the most powerful stories emerge from how people navigate profound change.
A Table For Two creates and champions documentaries that reveal how individuals make sense of our evolving world through their expertise, craft, and convictions. Whether it’s a scientist adapting research as priorities shift, an artist responding to technological disruption, or displaced people rebuilding their lives—we’re drawn to stories that show human resilience and adaptation.
My background gives me a unique perspective. I understand both the creative vision and the operational reality of getting films made and distributed. I know how to build sustainable systems because I’ve done it before. I care as much about ensuring a film reaches its intended audience as I do about the story itself.
We build a collection of films rooted in purpose, with emotional depth and psychological nuance. Our approach is both curatorial and entrepreneurial—we create original work and champion overlooked films that deserve wider reach. We connect these stories with institutions, educators, and audiences who value depth over distraction.
Whether you’re here as a viewer, a fellow filmmaker, or someone looking to collaborate—welcome.
Antoine Abou-Samra
Founder, A Table For Two
Photo by Greg Demarque
