Wider Lens

The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the world's most prestigious celebrations of cinema and television. For up and coming Canadian directors, a TIFF premiere means increased exposure, possible critical acclaim, and potential distribution deals - all of which could propel their careers forward. But what does international success mean to Canadian filmmakers? And how can we continue to...

In this episode of The Wider Lens, we’re shining a spotlight on queer film and TV with three passionate DGC Ontario Members: Director Pat Mills, Picture Editor Maureen Grant, and Production Manager Moe Rai. Over the last few years, there has been an extraordinary push for queer representation. Audiences all over the world are connecting with queer shows shot right here in Ontario, like Sort Of, Sc...

In this episode of Wider Lens, Director, Writer, and DGC Ontario Chair Annie Bradley sits down with three women who also happen to be some of the most exciting Directors working today: Helen Shaver, Danishka Esterhazy, and Sam MacAdam.  Helen, Danishka and Sam share their experiences in the film industry, how they define themselves and their worth as filmmakers, asserting your authority while stil...

Picture Editor Matt Hannam recently wrapped Noah Baumbach's White Noise. He talks "editor's intuition," why he vibrates towards distinct creative voices, and how he's built an international career on the creative chemistry shared with some of the most respected directors on the planet. Sign up for the Wider Lens newsletter: https://dgcontario.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6e52b6d929667900875e2e8...

Stunt performer turned Director Tig Fong talks about their journey from stuntwork to directing on What We Do In The Shadows, publicly embracing their identity as a queer POC and their personal mission to make the industry a more equitable place. Sign up for the Wider Lens newsletter: https://dgcontario.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6e52b6d929667900875e2e8fa&id=ae0da0b008

We talk to Indigenous Directors Nyla Innuksuk (Slash/Back) and Danis Goulet (Night Raiders) about using horror, science-fiction and fantasy to tell authentic, unique stories about the Indigenous experience.   We explore how genre provides many opportunities for Indigenous filmmakers to tell original, culturally-relevant stories, how horror, science-fiction, and fantasy are already an important par...

We’re chatting with the exceptional creatives behind Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, the mesmerizing 6th film del Toro has made in Ontario. We're celebrating the art of filmmaking with people at the very top of their game: Nightmare Alley’s Production Designer Tamara Deverell, Costume Designer Luis Sequeira, and Producer J. Miles Dale, all frequent collaborators of del Toro who are nominated...

Virtual production uses game engines like Unreal and Unity to create scenes across the physical and digital worlds.  In contrast to traditional production techniques, VP encourages a more iterative, nonlinear, and collaborative process, gifting creatives with a "fix it in prep" approach to visualizing worlds conceptually before they are physically built. In our Virtual Production episode, we sit d...

We sit down with the creators of Sort Of, a groundbreaking new series from CBC & HBO Max. Series co-creators Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo discuss how their own stories of transition led to their unique creative partnership. Listen in as we explore how Bilal and Fab’s openness and vulnerability led to collaborative magic, inclusivity in front of and behind the lens, and why they say now is the perfec...

We sit down with the worldbuilding creatives behind Apple TV+'s epic series SEE: Production Designer Caroline Hanania, DGC Ontario Art Director turned Production Designer Dean O'Dell, and DGC Ontario Supervising Location Manager John Rakich. Our guests discuss the formidable challenge of creating entire worlds, from the script to the screen. Listen in as we unpack the process of developing this un...

Something almost magical happens when the right artists and creatives find each other. The Handmaid's Tale is evidence of that magic. This year’s explosive fourth season was nominated for a staggering 21 Emmy Awards. Listen in to hear how the team collaborated to make it, plus the emotional and intuitive impulses that informed the creative process. In this episode, we're joined by Handmaid's creat...

WIDER LENS is a podcast that gives listeners an unflinching view of what it takes to brave the world of film and television production. We open the lens beyond the usual field of view to capture a diversity of creative voices. Our podcast is a unique opportunity to hear the community's most authentic artisans' real stories and see the bigger picture. Sign up for the Wider Lens newsletter: https://...