This last year Domee Shi made her directorial debut with the Pixar short Bao. She made history at the studio as being the first female director to helm a Pixar short. She is currently working on a feature length film for Pixar. All of this is happening while her short is in contention for an Oscar.
“We’re just developing the story for it right now. It’s super early on, but I’m really excited to play in this new 90-minute film format,” Shi told Deadline.
Shi began her career at Pixar as an intern. She went on to become a story artist on Inside Out and then worked on The Good Dinosaur, Incredibles 2, and Toy Story 4.
Her work on this new animated feature continues Pixar’s trend to be more diverse. Pixar really began moving this direction with the short Sanjay’s Super Team followed by the animated feature Coco. Of the 19 films that Pixar has released, only Brave had a female director. However, she was fired midway through production. In the past, there hasn’t been much female leadership at Pixar. However, this seems to be changing with Shi’s new project.
What do you think of Domee Shi directing a full lenght film for Pixar? Share your thoughts in the comments below!