Biography
Halifax filmmaker Andrea Dorfman has written and directed many award-winning documentaries, features and animated films, including the NFB-produced Flawed (2010), Big Mouth (2012) and feature doc The Girls of Meru (2018). Dorfman’s video collaborations with poet-musician Tanya Davis, How to Be Alone (2010) and How to Be at Home (2020), became YouTube sensations. Dorfman’s latest animated short, Hairy Legs (2024), explores one girl’s small yet life-changing act of defiance.
Biography (long)
Known for her human-centred storytelling and DIY flair, Halifax-based filmmaker, animator and artist Andrea Dorfman celebrates what she calls the happy accidents that stem from the creative process. Her award-winning live-action and animated work explores gender roles, body image and self-acceptance. Her acclaimed feature films include TIFF Canada’s Top Ten selection Parsley Days (2000), Love That Boy (2003), Heartbeat (2014) and Spinster (2020). Her short There’s a Flower in My Pedal (2005) was runner-up for the best short award at TIFF, and her film Sluts (2006) won the best documentary prize at the Atlantic International Film Festival. Dorfman wrote and directed the NFB animated films Flawed (2010), nominated for an Emmy, and Big Mouth (2012). Her NFB feature doc, The Girls of Meru (2018), followed an international human rights team in Kenya. Dorfman’s short live-action/animated video collaboration with PEI poet-musician Tanya Davis, How to Be Alone (2010), got millions of YouTube hits and became a book published by HarperCollins and illustrated by Dorfman. Their NFB mixed-media video poem How to Be at Home (2020) was also a viral hit. Dorfman’s latest animated short, Hairy Legs (2024), explores one girl’s small yet life-changing act of defiance.
Filmography
Parsley Days (2000, feature)
Love That Boy (2003, feature)
Sluts (2005, documentary)
Flawed (2010, animated short)
How to Be Alone (2010, animated short)
Big Mouth (2012, animated short)
Heartbeat (2014, feature)
The Girls of Meru (2018, feature-length documentary)
How to Be at Home (2020, animated short)
Spinster (2020, feature)
Hairy Legs (2024, animated short)