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Sam Firstenberg

b. 1950

Israeli-American film director

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About Sam Firstenberg

Born 1950. Sam Firstenberg is an Israeli and American film director and screenwriter.

Sam Firstenberg (born Shmulik Firstenberg on March 13, 1950) is an Israeli-American film director, screenwriter and film producer.

He is best known for having made low-budget B movies most of his career, among them the first two films in the American Ninja series, American Ninja and American Ninja 2: The Confrontation as well as Riverbend and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.

Firstenberg's filmography includes genres such as comedy, action, drama, science fiction, thrillers, horror and musicals.

Personal life Born in Poland to a Jewish family, Sam Firstenberg grew up in Jerusalem. He has directed 22 theatrical feature films since completing his graduate studies in film at Loyola Marymount University.

Filmography Director For the Sake of the Dog (1979) One More Chance (1981) Revenge of the Ninja (1983) Ninja III: The Domination (1984) Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984) American Ninja (1985) Avenging Force (1986) American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987) Riverbend (1989) The Day We Met (1990) Delta Force 3: The Killing Game (1991) Tropical Heat (1992) American Samurai (1992) Cyborg Cop (1993) Blood Warriors (1993) Cyborg Cop II (1994) Operation Delta Force (1997) Motel Blue (1997) McCinsey's Island (1998) The Alternate (2000) Criss Cross (2001) Spiders II: Breeding Ground (2001) Quicksand (2002) The Interplanetary Surplus Male and Amazon Women of Outer Space (2003) The Last Kumite (Pre-production only, then succeeded by Ross W. Clarkson)

Writer For the Sake of the Dog (1979) One More Chance (1983) Cyborg Cop II (1994)

Producer The Interplanetary Surplus Male and Amazon Women of Outer Space (2003) Groove Street (2018)

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Important facts

People in Sam Firstenberg's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Sam Firstenberg's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Sam Firstenberg?

Israeli-American film director

When was Sam Firstenberg born?

Sam Firstenberg was born on 13 March 1950 in Wałbrzych.

What is Sam Firstenberg's occupation?

Sam Firstenberg is a film director and screenwriter.

What nationality is Sam Firstenberg?

Sam Firstenberg is Israeli and American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Sam Firstenberg

· Wikidata: Q328555

· DBpedia: Sam Firstenberg

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sam Firstenberg. https://biography.guide/sam-firstenberg/

MLA: "Sam Firstenberg." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sam-firstenberg/.

Chicago: "Sam Firstenberg." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sam-firstenberg/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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