About

Vanessa Shah immigrated to Canada in the late 60’s and grew up in a blue-collar factory area in Toronto’s west end. She studied journalism at Ryerson, photo darkroom studies at George Brown and used those skills to move into graphics and magazine design. A casual meeting with someone in film, took her in a new direction, one that has formed a melting pot for all her creative skills in Toronto’s film and television Industry. She is a full member of the Directors Guild of Canada, works regularly for the OMDC, and has had the privilege of working in key crew positions with some of the world’s top talents in the industry, including the producers of Star Trek, Alias Grace and The Handmaid’s Tale. Vanessa produced and directed her first (trilogy) of shorts, The Family Next Door, recognized by from TVO in 2016 as a top ten winner in their short film contest. Her first film aired multiple times on TVO and can be viewed on their website. She has recently completed Decay Nation, a short doc showcasing the beauty of nature’s strength in reclaiming a decaying urban environment.