Benjamin Pola is a proud Sāmoan writer and director from Long Beach, CA. After earning his graduate degree from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, he shifted his focus from higher education – where he worked as an advisor and lecturer – to screenwriting, inspired by the storytelling power that drives the media industry. 

Benjamin currently serves as the social media manager and editor/writer at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and is directing his debut short film, “Tuimaseve,” which draws on his recent experience of receiving his high chief title from his family’s village of Satupaitea in Savai’i, Samoa in 2024. The film will premiere at the 2026 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival as a part of the Visual Communication’s Armed With A Camera (AWC) Fellowship.