Bio

Sandy Hoekstra is a Canadian actress and filmmaker whose work has been distributed on Roku and Telus Optik TV, and projects featured at international conferences from New Zealand to the Canadian Rockies. She is drawn to authentic human stories and sharp comedic timing. Her directorial work spans across fiction and non-fiction storytelling with multiple award-winning documentaries and several comedic festival selections. Sandy finds the humour in the uncomfortable moments and humanity in challenging ones. She is currently being mentored by writer Edward Kay, who is known for his work on “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” and “Jimmy Two-Shoes.”

 

In 2025, two of Sandy’s major directorial projects were released. The “got milf? Sketch Comedy Special” was distributed on Roku TV with two of the sketches showcasing at Toronto Sketchfest; “Death by Vitamin C” (2025) and "Cheap and Easy" (2024). The feature documentary "Roslyn Frantz: Live," has been distributed on Telus Optik TV and received local British Columbia recognition. Internationally it has been recognized for Best Feature (UK) and Best First Time Feature Director (NYC). Sandy serves as a film evaluator and a film selection committee member for GEMFest (Vancouver).

 

In 2024, Sandy was accepted into the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s Adventure Filmmakers Workshop, where she met and worked with legendary documentarians and adventurers Keith Partridge, known for his extensive BBC portfolio and “Touching the Void,” and Michael Brown for “Lava” (“The Weight of Water”). The same year, she studied sketch writing with the Upright Citizen’s Brigade (NYC).

 

In 2023, her comedic writing and direction for “Three Tales of Sketch” was recognized as a finalist at the Portland Comedy Festival. The same year, her collaborative work with Indigenous Elders and the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association, she produced, directed and edited the documentary "Our Own Spirits Regained" which premiered at the Regina International Film Festival and Awards. It was nominated for Best Canadian Documentary - Short Form. Among several other awards and showings, this film has also been featured in conferences around the world, including at the World Leisure Congress in Dunedin, New Zealand and the ARPA Conference & Energize Workshop in Lake Louise in 2023.

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Alongside her filmmaking career, Sandy is an academic who earned her Bachelor's degree with distinction from Yorkville University (Toronto). She has also earned two diplomas, achieving Honours through the SAIT Business Admin program (Calgary), and was school valedictorian for her graduating year at CAT (Kelowna), graduating with a filmmaking diploma and distinction in Producing. She was also honoured to be the recipient of the William F. White Vilmos Zsigmond Cinematography Scholarship in 2022. In 2019, she became a graduate of the Company of Rogues Acting Masterclass with a focus on Meisner, Uta Hagen and Stanislavski. Through her studies, Sandy has sharpened her approach to storytelling from both the human and technical perspectives.

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