Sara Salmani is a London-based actor and storyteller, shaped by a life spent moving between different cultures.

Working across film, television and voice, she gravitates towards work that explores lived intersections, people in transition, in contradiction, in quiet rebellion, or on the verge of becoming someone new.

Originally graduating with a BA in Film and TV, the inequities she encountered in the industry led her to focus on broader systemic change through diversity, equity, and inclusion work. Sara became one of Finland’s leading DEI consultants. She advised and trained organisations internationally, including Warner Bros. Discovery, Meta, Coca-Cola, Oliver Wyman, the Finnish Film Foundation, MTV, YLE (the Finnish Broadcasting Company), and the City of Helsinki.

Her work extended into major cultural campaigns such as Nike and the Finnish Football Association’s sports-hijab initiative, featured by BBC and CNN, and The Polite Type, an anti-cyberbullying font recognised with SABRE and Red Dot Awards. She was also part of the core consultant team behind Finland’s nationwide anti-racism campaign for the Ministry of Justice. Her work and voice have been widely featured in Finnish media, including Helsingin Sanomat, YLE, Iltalehti, Trendi, Eeva, Kodinkuvalehti and Talouselämä.

This chapter profoundly shaped her as an actor, sharpening her empathy, curiosity and capacity to listen.

Since returning to film and television, Sara has trained in both Finland and the UK and appeared in a range of screen projects. Her acting credits include the Finnish crime series Maria Kallio, television shows such as Kaksosenergiaa and Kämppikset, as well as YLE’s audio drama What Would Samira Do?

Alongside acting, Sara also works as a producer. She co-produced the short film Fardosa, released on NOWNESS, selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick, and awarded the Main Prize at Tampere Film Festival in 2022. She has also produced commercial work, including campaigns for the iconic Finnish fashion house Marimekko.

At the core of Sara’s work is an ongoing negotiation of belonging between cultures and expectations. Her biography, Ainoa huoneessa, exploring these themes of identity, was written by author and actor Jani Toivola and published in December 2023 by Storytel.

Outside of work, she can usually be found in nature, drifting between local cinemas and punk gigs, travelling, or reading anything that stretches her worldview.