IS AN ACCOMPLISHED IRAQI FILM AND TELEVISION DIRECTOR, EMBARKED ON HIS CINEMATIC JOURNEY IN 2007. WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE GAINED FROM WORKSHOPS AT THE IRAQI INDEPENDENT FILM CENTER AND THE INSTITUTE FOR WAR AND PEACE REPORTING, HE HONED HIS SKILLS ON NUMEROUS SHORT AND FEATURE FILMS, SERVING AS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND PRODUCTION MANAGER. NOTABLE PROJECTS INCLUDE "PATH OF MARIAM" BY ATIA AL-DARRAJI, "FAREWELL NINEVEH" BY FAROUK DAWOOD, AND "SALVATION" BY BENNET DE BRABANDERE. AND OTHERS. AS A DIRECTOR AND SCREENWRITER, ESSAM HAS EARNED ACCLAIM FOR THREE SHORT FILMS: "LABOUR," AWARDED AT THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL AND KAM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL IN CAIRO, "HYPOTHESES," AND "RITE," WHICH RECEIVED A SPECIAL ARBITRATION AWARD FOR THE BEST FILM AT THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL. ADDITIONALLY, HIS WORK INCLUDES THE FILM "CONTAMINATED."