LIJE SARKI is a writer, director, and producer whose career began in skateboarding culture, creating videos that laid the groundwork for his kinetic, grounded visual style. Over the past decade, he has worked across nearly every cinematic medium, establishing a reputation for emotionally driven, character-forward storytelling.

 

Sarki first gained attention producing the NBC series PUSH alongside professional skateboarder Steve Berra, sparking a deeper exploration into the identity and subculture of skateboarding. His breakout short film BELONG captured that world with intimacy and nuance, earning a Vimeo Staff Pick, online buzz, and festival acclaim.

 

Through his production company 1993, Sarki produced the indie hit THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON (starring Shia LaBeouf) and THE LINE (starring Alex Wolff). He is currently in post-production on DOUG OUT, an original thriller starring Chris Bauer, and recently directed SWEET DREAMS, a comedy produced with Paramount Pictures starring Johnny Knoxville and Mo Amer. SWEET DREAMS premiered in theaters in April 2024 to widespread critical and audience acclaim. He is also collaborating with Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright David Mamet on the upcoming feature HENRY JOHNSON.

 

In 2022, Sarki co-founded GRAVEL with Jay Carson (THE MORNING SHOW, HOUSE OF CARDS), a film and television company committed to bold, original storytelling.

 

He lives in Venice, California, with his wife and two children, and still finds time to surf and skate daily.