Born in Montréal, Quebec, Canada. After earning a B.A. in comparative religion and philosophy at McGill University in Montréal in 1967, Beverly Shaffer obtained a teaching certificate from MacDonald College and taught high school for two years. Looking for "an interesting way to earn a living," she went back to do a Master's degree in filmmaking at Boston University. Upon graduation in 1971, she landed a job at WGBH-TV, Boston's public television station, where she worked as a production assistant, researcher and associate producer on various science and public affairs programs. Shaffer's first opportunity to work in film came in 1975, a year after the NFB had established Studio D with a mandate to produce films by and for women. Shaffer submitted a proposal for a series of short documentaries about Canadian youngsters. It was accepted and, from 1975 to 1983, she would direct all 10 films in the "Children of Canada" series. "For a beginner," she says, "Studio D was an ideal environment. It provided the kind of support and nurturing that permitted me to develop as a filmmaker." One of the films in this series, I'LL FIND A WAY, about a courageous little girl with spina bifida, won 10 awards, including the Oscar® for best live-action short in 1978. In the early 1980s, Shaffer turned her talents to drama, directing THE WAY IT IS (1982), about a young girl's reaction to her parents' divorce, and DISCUSSIONS IN BIOETHICS: WHO SHOULD DECIDE? (1986), one of eight open-ended dramas in the series "Discussions in Bioethics." In 1987, she returned to documentary with TO A SAFER PLACE, a powerful and inspiring film about an incest survivor, which won six awards. In her "Children of Jerusalem" series (1994), Shaffer presented portraits of Palestinian and Israeli children at home, school and play, making it clear that these kids lead normal lives too. JUST A WEDDING (1999), is a docu-drama involving Nadia DeFranco, the couragous girl from the film I'LL FIND A WAY, now aged 27. Shaffer's most recent film is MR. MERGLER'S GIFT (2005), a 31-minute short produced by the NFB. Shaffer's films are characterized by the desire to go beyond stereotypes and show children as they really are. She attributes her filmmaking success to her diminutive size. Since she is not threatening, people feel more relaxed around her and this helps with her interviewing. The fact that she is generally interested in people and not much of a talker herself helps too. She makes films by following her own curiosity; her inquisitive nature leads her to ask questions many people would like to ask but never do.  Short Films (Live Action) 1977: I'LL FIND A WAY - Producer (w. Yuki Yoshida) 1 nomination, 1 Award