about
Olive Samuel Greenspan (they/them) is a queer and trans film director, writer, and editor whose work seeks joy and meaning during (what feels like) the end of the world.
Olive’s first feature film, FORTY YEARS IN THE DESERT: A Documentary Fantasia of the Queer Jewish Imaginary, is currently in post-production. Their sci-fi dance-film short IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL MACHINE is currently preparing for a festival run. Both films were supported in part by the Sklar Entertainment Innovation Fellowship.
Prior to film, Olive spent 15 years as a public radio/podcast reporter and producer. Olive was a founding producer at 99% Invisible, which they helped transform from a nights-and-weekends project of host Roman Mars into one of the most commercially and critically successful podcasts of all time. Olive also helped launch NPR's TED Radio Hour, USA Today's The City podcast, CondéNast/Allure’s The Science of Beauty, and numerous other radio shows and podcasts. Olive has consulted on podcast development for clients including OpenAI, San Francisco Lighthouse For The Blind, Radiotopia, Second Harvest Food Bank, KALW, and Wired Magazine, among others.
As an educator, Olive has taught film and radio/podcast production at UCLA, Stanford University, UnionDocs, New College of Florida, and elsewhere.
Olive's own podcast, Bellwether, presents original investigative journalism within the frame of a sci-fi radio serial. Most of their reporting work is under their pre-transition name, Sam Greenspan.
Originally from South Florida, Olive now lives in Los Angeles.