BIO
Dafina Roberts (she/ze/they) is a nonbinary writer/director/producer. She loves creating dramedies that centers on dysfunctional people who struggle with themes of identity, power, and perception.
Dafina is a Ryan Murphy Half Initiative Directing Fellow, a Blackhouse Producing Fellow, and a Kickstarter Creator-In-Residence. She created the digital series Giving Me Life (In The Land Of The Deadass), which followed six Black and Latinx friends of diverse sexualities struggling to find love in New York City. The series was released via Comcast’s Xfinity, Gravitas Ventures and RevryTV. Previously, the series won the AT&T Audience Award for Best Episodic at Frameline’s San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. It was also an Official Selection of the New York Television Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, and Atlanta Out On Film Festival.
Prior to that, she worked as a Director of Development & Production at Nickelodeon, where she oversaw development and current series for scripted and unscripted projects; helped manage the first-look deal with Nick Cannon’s Ncredible Entertainment; and coordinated the network’s current series slate with past credits including the Emmy-nominated Degrassi and the channel’s first English-speaking telenovela Every Witch Way to name a few.
She also co-produced the urban coming-of-age feature film, Punching At The Sun (Official Selection of Sundance Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival; Winner for Best Narrative at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival.)
Dafina began her career at the Oscar-nominated IMPACT Repertory Theatre (a youth hip-hop theater company) as an Assistant Artistic Director and Master Choreographer. At the theater company, she also produced, directed and co-wrote short-form videos. During her tenure with the company, she also oversaw the development and production of over 70 live shows during the tour year, including performances at the United Nations, the U.S. Open and Lincoln Center. In addition, she has produced, directed and/or choreographed live events, including HaZ & Friends at the Starbucks Music Series as a part of the Sundance Film Festival and a promotional performance with the cast of Fela! On Broadway at MTV.
Dafina received a BA in Philosophy with a track in Race, Ethnicity and Gender Studies and a minor in Dance from Stony Brook University, where she was a valedictorian. She was also a Richard Ellner scholar at Broadway Dance Center. In her free time, she dances hip hop, studies the history of African American dance, and reads space operas and philosophical works.