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Domee Shi is a Canadian animator, director, and screenwriter, born in China and raised in Canada. She began her career at Pixar in 2011 as a storyboard artist, contributing to films like Inside Out and Toy Story 4. Shi achieved significant milestones as the first woman to direct a Pixar short film, Bao (2018), which earned her an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. She further made history as the first woman with sole director's credit on a Pixar feature film, Turning Red (2022). Shi has also directed the upcoming feature Elio (2025) and has been nominated for Academy Awards for her feature directorial work.

Her creative process is deeply influenced by her upbringing, family relationships, and a passion for animation and diverse storytelling. Shi draws inspiration from her parents, particularly her mother's protective nature, which informed the narrative of Bao and Turning Red. Her childhood exposure to Studio Ghibli and Disney films, coupled with her engagement with anime and manga, shaped her artistic vision. Shi advocates for recognition of artists based on their work rather than gender or ethnicity, aiming to create relatable stories that resonate with a global audience.

Born in Chongqing, China, on September 8, 1989, Domee Shi immigrated to Canada at the age of two. Growing up in Toronto, her artistic sensibilities were nurtured by her father, a former fine arts professor and painter in China. Her mother's personality also served as a significant influence, particularly her protective nature, which Shi later translated into her directorial work. Shi's childhood was marked by exposure to a wide range of animated films from Studio Ghibli and Disney, fostering an early appreciation for Asian cinema and animation. During her high school years, she actively engaged with anime and manga, even serving as vice president of her school's anime club. Shi also participated in online art communities, sharing her fan artwork on platforms like DeviantArt, which helped her connect with a network of like-minded artists. This digital engagement was crucial in building her artistic community and motivating her to attend Sheridan College, where many of her admired artists had studied. She graduated from Sheridan College with a degree in animation in 2011, with a particular focus on storyboarding developed during a course taught by Nancy Beiman.

Shi joined Pixar in 2011 as a storyboard artist, a position she secured after her father encouraged her to reapply following initial rejections from various studios. She contributed storyboards to acclaimed films such as Inside Out (2015), The Good Dinosaur (2015), and Toy Story 4 (2019), and also provided additional story work for Incredibles 2 (2018). Her webcomic series, My Food Fantasies (2014), explored imaginative scenarios involving food and helped develop her interest in food-related storytelling. Shi's directorial debut at Pixar was the short film Bao (2018), which originated as a side project. The film's approval in 2015 made her the first woman to direct a short film for the studio. Bao garnered critical acclaim, earning Shi an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, making her the first woman of color to win this award. Her success continued with the feature film Turning Red (2022), for which she was the sole director, marking another significant achievement as the first woman to hold this position for a Pixar feature. She is also set to direct the upcoming film Elio (2025), further solidifying her role as a pioneering female director in the animation industry.

Domee Shi's directorial work is profoundly shaped by her personal experiences and cultural background. Her parents, particularly her mother's tendency towards overprotectiveness, served as a primary inspiration for Bao, with Shi aiming to explore the complex emotions surrounding a mother's letting go of her child. This theme of familial relationships, especially between mothers and daughters within immigrant families, also resonates in Turning Red. The film draws heavily on Shi's own adolescent experiences navigating identity and social pressures in Toronto, incorporating relatable aspects of teenage awkwardness and burgeoning emotions. Shi also drew inspiration from animated films like My Neighbors the Yamadas and Spirited Away. She emphasizes the importance of incorporating diverse cultural perspectives into filmmaking, believing that audiences are increasingly receptive to stories from varied backgrounds. Shi strives to create art that reflects her identity as a 'nerd,' aiming to connect with fellow enthusiasts through shared passions and relatable narratives, while also advocating for the industry to prioritize artistic merit over demographic labels.

“My Chinese mom was always making sure I never wandered away too far, that I was safe.”

“I could follow artists, and I could email them. In the past, you'd have to be in California or know a guy who was friends with this other guy that worked at Disney or something.”

“I felt that my voice was valued early on in my career, which is rare.”

“I wanted to use this short as a way to explore that relationship between an over-protective mom and a baby dumpling and show how the bittersweetness of letting something go even though you love it so much.”

“It's a side of teen girls that you never got to see. We are just like any boy. We are just as awkward and sweaty and lusty and excited as any boy.”