Biography
Independent award-winning filmmaker Sandi Somers is a native of Cape Breton Island who for over two decades has been residing in Alberta. She has worked in Canada and Europe for the past 25 years as a filmmaker, theatre artist, and educator. Sandi's work often revolves around challenges within human nature, discovery of truth, while addressing themes of connection.
Sandi's work has been featured across North America and in festivals worldwide such as The Lesbian International Film Festival in Paris, Los Angeles New Waves, The Melbourne International Film Festival, the St. John's Women's Festival, and The Calgary and Edmonton International Film Festivals. With over 70 films behind her and 40 nominations for her films, Sandi continues to create thought-provoking works in various genres. She creates dance films, music videos, dramas, comedies, video installations and has directed a documentary syndicated TV series. Upcoming projects include directing MUD, a CBC Digital Original series with Seven24 Films and designing the projection and video content for the live theatre production, Making Treaty 7.
Ice Blue (103 mins) with a release date this fall, is her first feature as director/co-producer. This psychological drama delves into themes of secrets and lies when a young 16-year old girl, living on an isolated farm with her father, asks to be reunited with her mother who mysteriously left ten years ago. Ice Blue opened to a sold out house at the Calgary International Film Festival and screened at the LA Femme Film Festival. There she won top honours with Best Feature Director, Ice Blue. Home (25 minutes, writer/director/producer) is a drama about a woman returning home to take care of her ailing and harshly strict parents in the 1950s. The Artistic Taxidermist (5 minutes) is a comedy about a taxidermist who, after discovering the Mona Lisa and fine art, becomes the DaVinci of the taxidermy world.
Sandi is the recent recipient of Alberta's prestigious Legacy Award from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts co-directing the auteur documentary on the pioneers of theatre in Calgary. She is a recipient of Alberta Media Arts Alliance's Spirit of Helen Award for her contributions to Alberta's media arts community and was invited to The Cannes Film Festival's Shorts Corner Program. Sandi is the creator of the revitalized initiative Herland, a workshop and mentorship program for women in film. She was also a finalist for Best Filmmaker in Calgary 2016 and recently received the Dave Kelly Live Force of Nature Award, and has served as current or past board member for the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers, Emmedia and Fairy Tales Presentation Society where she facilitates the Creative Workshop for the Queer Youth Media Project.
