The Directors Podcast

Two of television's most prolific directors, Helen Shaver (Orphan Black, Vikings, Maid) and Jeremy Podeswa (Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, The Handmaid's Tale) come together to discuss their work on the recent HBO Max miniseries Station 11. A post-apocalyptic story set 20 years after a flu pandemic dismantled civilization, the show follows a group of traveling performers as they come into conf...

Award-winning DGC Director Jennifer Abbott discusses her two latest documentary features The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel and The Magnitude of All Things alongside filmmaker and climate activist Avi Lewis (This Changes Everything, The Take). Through the lens of Abbott's profound documentary work, these two filmmakers dissect the structure and challenges of essay films, while...

Acclaimed Director Stanley Nelson sits down with DGC Director Charles Officer (Unarmed Verses, The Skin We're In, Akilla's Escape) to discuss his latest documentary feature, Attica. The two delve into the craft of documentary filmmaking, covering the nuances surrounding point of view, the mechanics and challenges of interviewing subjects, the labor invested in archival footage, and the importance...

Helen Shaver is joined by Director Jeremy Podeswa (Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, The Pacific) to discuss her feature film, Happy Place. Adapted from Pamela Sinha’s stage play of the same name, the film portrays the experiences of a group of women at an in-patient care facility. Shaver speaks on the process of putting trauma on screen, preparing for heavy scenes with the film’s lead, Clark Bac...

Director Jeff Barnaby is joined by Jesse Wente, Executive Director of the Indigenous Screen Office, to discuss the 2020 release of his feature film Blood Quantum. Their in-depth conversation covers many topics, including the initial audience reactions to the film, the political history of Zombie movies, and the process of challenging typical representations of Indigenous peoples.  The DGC Pod...

DGC Director and screenwriter Jeffrey St. Jules discusses his distinguished filmography with visual artist and fellow DGC Director Randall Okita (See For Me, The Lockpicker). Okita guides their discussion from St. Jules’ early surrealist short film, The Tragic Story of Nling , through to his latest psychological thriller, Cinema of Sleep . Together they explore the ever-evolving approach to filmma...

Every year at the St. John’s International Women's Film Festival (SJIWFF), the Directors Guild of Canada presents a Director with the DGC Visionary Award. This episode features The Globe and Mail's Johanna Schneller presenting this year's award to DGC Ontario Director Deborah Chow, whose illustrious career has led her from working on shows like Mr. Robot, American Gods and The Mandalorian, to dire...

Director Danis Goulet and Indigenous Screen Office Co-Executive Director Kerry Swanson discuss Goulet's acclaimed feature, Night Raiders. Set in a dystopic North American future, the film follows a Cree mother as she attempts to rescue her daughter from a state-run education camp. After premiering at the Berlin Film Festival and showing at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, Night Raider...

Director Bretten Hannam (Wildfire, North Mountain) discusses their feature film Wildhood with Director Shane Belcourt (Red Rover, Tkaronto). Wildhood tells the story of two-spirit Mi'kmaw teenager Link as he flees an abusive home and attempts to rediscover his heritage. The acclaimed film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and opened the 2021 FIN Atlantic International Film Festi...

Director Sarah Polley (Take This Waltz, Stories We Tell, Alias Grace) speaks with Director Thom Fitzgerald (Cloudburst, Forgive Me, Cam Boy) about the process of adapting literature to the screen, while touching upon: the cultural norms of pitch meetings  the vulnerability of original screenplays  the best on-set advice Sarah's received  changing behavioral expectations for director...

Director Michael McGowan discusses his latest feature, All My Puny Sorrows, with The Globe and Mail's Johanna Schneller. Adapted from the Miriam Toews novel of the same name, All My Puny Sorrows tells the story of a renowned pianist battling suicidal urges and the sister trying to keep her alive. McGowan's moving film was selected to make its premiere at TIFF 2021.  The DGC Podcast is produce...

Orphan Black Co-Creator and Director John Fawcett (Ginger Snaps, The Dark, The Man in the High Castle) and acclaimed actor Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black, Perry Mason, She-Hulk) discuss their experience working together on the award-winning sci-fi series. The duo get deep into the dynamics of the Director-Actor relationship and cover: Dealing with imposter syndrome Overcoming social anxiety as a Di...

Director Clement Virgo (Greenleaf, Book of Negroes, The Wire) and TIFF Co-Head Cameron Bailey discuss a wealth of topics, starting from Virgo's early work on a famous episode of The Wire and ranging out to:  Getting gigs as a TV Director The power of shooting a scene in a single take Pitching TV projects to networks Learning from Hitchcock Juggling authenticity with cultural sensitivity The h...

Director Garrett Bradley discusses her Oscar-nominated documentary, TIME, with TIFF Programmer Lydia Ogwang. Their discussion covers the intergenerational effects of incarceration, the invisibility of the prison-industrial complex, images as evidence, the political significance of the Black Family Archive & building trust with documentary subjects.  The DGC Podcast is produced by the Dire...

Directors Steve J. Adams and Sean Horlor talk to filmmaker Tiffany Hsiung (Sing Me A Lullaby, The Apology) about the duo's latest documentary, Someone Like Me. The film centers on Drake, a gay Ugandan asylum seeker, as he resettles in Canada and the group of queer volunteers tasked with supporting him. This conversation intertwines personal and professional topics, such as developing and directing...

Director Yung Chang sits down for an in-depth conversation about his newest documentary, Wuhan Wuhan, with fellow documentary filmmaker Steve James (Hoop Dreams, City So Real). Chang goes over a variety of topics including his unique experience directing the film, the process of getting footage out of China, learning not to force a narrative structure in the editing room, the therapeutic effect of...

Director Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers discusses her newest documentary, Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy, with fellow filmmaker Shane Belcourt (Red Rover, Tkaronto). The documentary provides an intimate look at the effects of the opioid crisis on the Kanai First Nation, chronicling the mission of community members, first responders and medical professionals to confront the crisis with innovat...