The DGC Podcast: Recent Episodes
Directors Guild of Canada
The DGC Podcast is a platform for filmmakers to discuss their craft. Every episode features a conversation between film industry peers breaking down the method and process behind their work. Diverse topics provide a look behind the camera, advice for veteran and aspiring filmmakers, and an examination of the social and cultural elements intersecting the industry.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
On the fifth episode of our Talking to Actors series, DGC Director Aubrey Arnason sits down with CSA-winning DGC Director Fab Filippo (Sort Of, A Time to Kill). Their conversation covers the inherent vulnerability of actors, learning to walk away from scenes unsatisfied, the art of shooting walk and talks, getting creative with ADR and tips for early-career directors working with actors.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
Director Shannon Walsh sits down with fellow filmmaker Chase Joynt discuss her latest documentary feature Adrianne & The Castle, as well as her recent book The Documentary Filmmaker's Intuition: Creating Ethical and Impactful Non-fiction Films.
Their discussion also weaves in topics like the tension between filmmaking and political organizing, the activist aesthetic, the industry's reliance on relationship building, using narration, scripting and performative scenes in documentary, and more.
The Directors Podcast (rebranded from The DGC Podcast) is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
This episode features three directors who screened documentary features at TIFF 2023:
- Chelsea McMullan, Director of Swan Song
- Brigitte Berman, Director of Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got
- Robert McCallum, Director of Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe
Guided by DGC Director Lisa Rideout, they discuss unique approaches to cataloguing footage for the editing room, whether or not to share documentary footage with a film's subjects, some of the challenges they've encountered throughout their careers, and more.
On this episode, renowned DGC filmmaker Tiffany Hsiung guides a panel of three DGC Directors as they discuss their latest documentaries. Co-Directors Kathleen Jayme & Asia Youngman talk I'M JUST HERE FOR THE RIOT, their film about the 2011 riot which broke out following the Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup finals loss in Game 7, and Director Yasmine Mathurin discusses the sixth episode of the docu-series WITNESS which spotlights the story of a man preparing to show his children footage of the Toronto Police Department assaulting him.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
This episode was recorded live at a DGC Visionaries event at Hot Docs 2023 in Toronto.
On the fourth episode of our Talking to Actors series, DGC Director Aubrey Arnason sits down with renowned Director-Actor Amanda Tapping (Stargate SG-1, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Motherland: Fort Salem). Starting from her first experience transitioning behind the camera on Stargate SG-1, Tapping provides insight into what Directors can do if they lose an actor, how they should approach gun-for-hire episodic shoots, common communication mistakes, how to navigate emotional scenes, and more.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
This episode features Sean Horlor and Steve J. Adams, Co-Directors of SATAN WANTS YOU, and Georges Hannan, Director of UNDERTAKER FOR LIFE!, in conversation with fellow DGC Director Reg Harkema (THE KIDS IN THE HALL: COMEDY PUNKS, SUPER DUPER ALICE COOPER).
Their conversation explores the modern relevance of the satanic panic, the polarizing ways Adams and Horlor portrayed their subjects, how Hannan navigated making a film about death and how both films explore religious community and belief from very different angles.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
This conversation was recorded live at a DGC Visionaries event in Toronto during Hot Docs 2023.
On the third episode of the Talking to Actors series, DGC Director Aubrey Arnason sits down with Actor-Director Agam Darshi to discuss her work on both sides of the camera and her experience starring in and directing the feature film Donkeyhead.
Director and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Rian Johnson (Glass Onion, Knives Out, The Last Jedi) is joined by fellow filmmaker Vincenzo Natali (The Peripheral, Westworld, Splice) to discuss a suite of topics including learning to communicate with actors, Johnson's prep workflow, the movie he'd love to make and the changing landscape of film development and distribution.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
This conversation was recorded live at a DGC Visionaries event in Toronto during TIFF 2022.
Koromousso, Big Sister is making its World Premiere at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto on March 9th as part of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Tickets can be purchased on HotDocs.ca.
On this episode Joy Loewen, CEO of the National Screen Institute, sits down with Directors Habibata Ouarme and Jim Donovan to discuss their forthcoming documentary Koromousso, Big Sister. The film centers on a group of African-Canadian women fighting to take back ownership of their bodies after being victimized by female genital mutilation. Ouarme weaves her own journey with those of her friends to explore the lifelong effects of FGM, the feelings of shame and loneliness they've endured and the path they walk toward individual and collective healing.
This discussion covers many fascinating topics related to the film including how they managed to capture footage in Burkina Faso, Ouarme's choice to put herself and her story on screen, the dynamic between a first-time filmmaker in Ouarme and an experienced director in Donovan and how they navigated documenting such sensitive and emotional subject matter.
This episode features Hubert Davis, Director of Black Ice, and Sally El Hosaini, Director of The Swimmers, in conversation about their latest films. Both films revolve around athletes and the weight they bear beyond competition itself. Black Ice pulls the history of anti-black racism in hockey to the surface and examines the struggle of Black athletes from pre-NHL to the present day, while The Swimmers dramatizes the true story of two sisters who flee war-torn Syria and make the perilous journey to Europe, with hope of competing in the Olympics. This conversation is moderated by filmmaker Charles Officer, Director of The Porter, Akilla's Escape and Unarmed Verses.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
This conversation was recorded live at a DGC Visionaries event in Toronto during TIFF 2022.
This episode features a panel of three brilliant directors in conversation about their latest films: Director and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Sarah Polley, whose film Women Talking has also been nominated for Best Picture at the 2023 Academy Awards; Clement Virgo, director of Brother, which was selected by TIFF as one of Canada's Top Ten Feature Films of 2022; and Tobias Lindholm, director of The Good Nurse. Fellow filmmaker and DGC President Warren Sonoda guides their discussion as they delve into the position of theme in storytelling, how they approach adaptation, the way they've evolved as artists, and much more.
This conversation was recorded live at a DGC Visionaries event in Toronto during TIFF 2022.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
On this episode, filmmaker and DGC Ontario Director Rep Lisa Rose Snow leads a panel of four distinct directors whose latest films played at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. The panel includes Sean Garrity, director of The End of Sex; Darlene Naponse, director of Stellar; Marie Clements, director of Bones of Crows and Lindsay MacKay, director of The Swearing Jar. Their conversation begins on the subject of juggling multiple creative roles at once before delving into a discussion about the luck, serendipity and magic required to get films made.
This conversation was recorded live at a DGC Visionaries event in Toronto during TIFF 2022.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
On this episode, Director Zach Lipovsky (Freaks, Kim Possible) is joined by a panel of five emerging filmmakers whose latest feature films played at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. The panel includes Kelly Fyffe-Marshall, director of When Morning Comes; Sophie Jarvis, director of Until Branches Bend; Ashley McKenzie, director of Queens of the Qing Dynasty; Gail Maurice, director of Rosie; and Anthony Shim, director of Riceboy Sleeps and recipient of the 2022 Jean-Marc Vallée DGC Discovery Award.
Their discussion tackles the fear that comes with embarking on a large creative endeavor, as well as the writing process, tonal development and aesthetic choices that went into creating their films.
This conversation was recorded live at a DGC Visionaries event in Toronto during TIFF 2022.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
This episode features an in-depth industry discussion between DGC Director Tiffany Hsiung (Sing Me A Lullaby, The Apology) and Nathalie-Anne Brassard, the Directors Guild of Canada's National Film Board and Documentary Director Labour Representative. Their conversation focuses on the latest agreement between the DGC and the National Film Board, which enshrines new economic and creative rights at the NFB, while delving into specifics regarding the financial repercussions of production delays, how Directors can make sure they're properly credited for their work, how the DGC can assist in resolving creative and legal disputes, and much more.
This discussion was recorded live at a DGC Visionaries event in Toronto.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
This episode features a panel of Documentary Directors whose films screened at the 2022 Hot Docs Festival. Phyllis Ellis, Director of Category Woman, Brishkay Ahmed, Director of Fatima in Kabul, Barri Cohen, Director of Unloved: Huronia's Forgotten Children and Andrew Moir, Director of Don't Come Searching are all guided in discussion by fellow filmmaker and Hot Docs Programmer, Aisha Jamal, as they delve into their stylistic and musical inspirations, the color palette of their films, the mechanics of dehumanization and how to research and interview subjects about traumatic events.
This discussion was recorded live at a DGC Visionaries event in Toronto.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
This episode features a panel of Documentary Directors whose films screened at the 2022 Hot Docs Festival. Jennifer Baichwal, Director of Into The Weeds, Louie Palu, Director of Zero Position and Sara Dosa, Director of Fire of Love are joined by renowned film critic Johanna Schneller to discuss the notion of a "balanced" documentary, the experience of creating films in dangerous locales, the ethics of filming human suffering and how far they're willing to go for their work.
This discussion was recorded live at a DGC Visionaries event in Toronto.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
This episode features a panel of Documentary Directors whose films screened at the 2022 Hot Docs Festival. Reg Harkema, Director of The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks, Chase Joynt, Director of Framing Agnes and Shane Belcourt, Director of Beautiful Scars come together to talk about how they navigated the complexities of their subjects, the nature of Documentary as a format, the need for specificity in storytelling and the effect their documentaries had on their own perspectives.
This discussion was recorded live at a DGC Visionaries event in Toronto.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
On the second episode of the Talking To Actors series, DGC Director Aubrey Arnason sits down with DGC Director Stefan Brogren to talk about his transition from acting to directing, his early work on Degrassi webisodes, guiding first-time actors and why directors need to get their entire crew emotionally invested in every scene.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
Prolific DGC Director and Screenwriter Atom Egoyan sits down with Executive Director of the Canadian Film Institute, Tom McSorley, for an extensive conversation about the thematic underpinnings of his work while also covering his early obsession with home movies, choosing niche filmmaking over Hollywood, the changing role of Film Festivals and how film criticism has evolved alongside technology.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
This conversation was originally recorded over Zoom in 2020.
On Earth Day 2022, we bring you a conversation between two storied and impactful Directors, Shelley Saywell (Kim's Story, A Child's Century of War) and Liz Marshall (Water on the Table, The Ghosts in Our Machine). Their discussion focuses on Marshall's latest documentary Meat the Future, which chronicles the rising "cultivated meat" industry and the possibilities it presents for an end to factory farming and a sustainable climate future. In conversation with Saywell, Marshall covers the film's soundscape and use of drone cinematography, the legal challenges of filming industrial barns, the realities of making films about difficult and potentially traumatizing subject matter, and the importance of presenting animals properly on screen.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
This talk was originally recorded over Zoom in October 2020.
On the first episode of the Talking To Actors series, DGC Director Aubrey Arnason sits down with famed Directing Coach Judith Weston to discuss the 25th Anniversary Edition of her bestselling book, Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television. Weston’s students include directors like Alejandro Iñárritu, Ava DuVernay and Taika Watiti, and on this episode she delves into the Director-Actor relationship, what Actors want from their Director, how to help Actors find the right emotions in a scene and much more.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
This episode features Odario Williams, of CBC Radio’s Afterdark and the Hip-Hop Collective Grand Analog, in conversation with Questlove about the musician’s BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated documentary feature, Summer of Soul. The acclaimed film represents Questlove’s directorial debut and tells the story of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a major cultural event that has lived in obscurity for half a century. Throughout this discussion, these two eclectic artists cover Philadelphia vernacular, Questlove's initial decision to pass on Summer of Soul, the significant footage left out of the final cut, tracking down living witnesses and the massive discoveries made about the festival's lineup.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
On this episode, friends and colleagues Mina Shum (Double Happiness, Ninth Floor, Meditation Park) and Don McKellar (The Drowsy Chaperone, The Last Night, Through Black Spruce) sit down to discuss their perspectives on the craft of directing. From the debate around authoritative directing styles, to the fundamental idea of being a director, these two storied artists provide insight into questions about representation, communicating with actors, and adapting to a variety of storytelling formats.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
This talk was originally recorded remotely in 2021.
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 conflict with a violent cult. Shaver and Podeswa break down their directing approach in detail, discussing how to make a dystopic setting feel unique, filming and editing non-linear scenes, and the emotional experience of shooting a show about a pandemic, during a pandemic.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
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 tackling topics like climate grief, the regulation of Big Tech, and the intertwining nature of capital, climate breakdown and the pandemic.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
This talk was originally recorded over Zoom in 2021.
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 of keeping an audience entertained throughout. Their invaluable discussion offers incredible insight for filmmakers, storytellers, and anybody with an interest in documentaries.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
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 Backo, and her personal journey from actor to director.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
This talk was recorded remotely in 2020.
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 Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
This talk was recorded over Zoom in 2020.
Co-Directors Shasha Nakhai and Rich Williamson sit down with film critic and Variety contributor Jennie Punter to discuss their debut feature, Scarborough. The film was adapted from Catherine Hernandez's novel of the same name and follows three children from a low-income neighborhood as they come together at an after-school reading program. The film held its premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, where it finished as the runner-up for the People's Choice Award. Nakhai and Williamson discuss the years-long journey to finishing the film, how they learned and adapted to working with child actors, the challenges of transitioning from documentary filmmaking and what it was like working with each other as Co-Directors.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
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 filmmaking that has led St. Jules to become one of Canada’s most distinct storytellers.
Time Stamps
00:00:13 – Introductions
00:01:55 – Does St. Jules dream?
00:04:58 – Childhood storytelling and imagination
00:08:15 – Growing up in rural Nova Scotia
00:13:50 – The Tragic Story of Nling
00:21:33 – Let the Daylight Into The Swamp
00:30:49 – How fatherhood impacted St. Jules’ filmmaking
00:33:11 – Bang Bang Baby
00:36:25 – Cinema of Sleep
00:55:39 – St. Jules’ shooting process
00:58:57 – Are film sets a war zone?
01:00:22 – The creative value of naïveté
01:04:00 – St. Jules’ writing routine
01:12:17 – Closing thoughts
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
DGC Director Kari Skogland and President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige come together at the 2021 Banff World Media Festival to discuss the making of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and the process of translating the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the TV screen. Moderated by Kelley Carter of ESPN's The Undefeated.
Time Stamps:
00:00:00 - Introductions
00:02:44 - Expanding the MCU into television
00:04:18 - Kari's pitch for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
00:07:37 - Shooting Falcon to be "screen-agnostic"
00:09:24 - The impact of streaming platforms on storytelling
00:10:57 - The creative process behind Sam Wilson's climactic speech
00:13:50 - What Marvel looks for in creatives
00:15:49 - Kari's use of video in her initial pitch meeting
00:18:54 - The lessons Marvel has taken from Falcon
00:20:23 - Introducing Isaiah Bradley to the MCU
00:22:54 - How many projects does Marvel work on simultaneously?
00:23:52 - Advice for up-and-coming filmmakers
00:26:11 - Staying true to the spirit of source material
00:31:30 - Marvel's working environment
00:33:44 - Kevin's book recommendations
00:38:40 - How Falcon, WandaVision and Loki will feed into Phase 4 of the MCU
00:42:45 - Final Thoughts
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
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 directing all six episodes of the upcoming Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi. Hear Chow accept the award and speak to Schneller about her path to becoming a Director and the skills she places at the core of the profession.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
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 Raiders is set to headline the upcoming imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. Goulet and Swanson discuss the initial creative drive behind the film as well as:
- The freedom of genre filmmaking
- The possibilities of Indigenous Futurism
- Intense studio resistance to using Cree language on screen
- Goulet's perspective on the 'Warrior Woman' archetype
- Implementing Indigenous cultural practices on set
- and more...
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
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 Festival. Hannam and Belcourt delve into the making of the feature and discuss:
- Hannam's casting process for the young leads
- Hannam's experience working with prolific Canadian Cinematographer Guy Godfree
- Shooting and dubbing the film in the Mi'kmaq language
- The striking challenge of directing elders on set
- The Director-Assistant Director relationship
- The process of editing Wildhood remotely
- and more...
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
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 directors
- Sarah's perspective on rehearsing scenes
- the pros and cons of crew bonding exercises
- the importance of post-production sound design
- and more...
This talk was recorded over Zoom during the first half of 2020.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
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 produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
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 Director
- Creating an on-set persona
- Overpreparing for a shoot
- John's attraction to small, intimate projects
- Tatiana's experience with one-off Directors and guest actors
- Conquering a fear of mistakes
- John's approach to rehearsing scenes
- Earning an actor's trust
This talk was recorded over Zoom in 2020.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
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 handling of diversity in America and Canada
- Getting your film into TIFF
- Virgo's writing process
- Prepping for a film shoot
- Dealing with difficult crew members
This talk was recorded remotely in the first half of 2020.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
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 Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
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 as a couple, building relationships with the documentary's subjects, filming during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and big takeaways about Canada's refugee program.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Katia Café-Fébrissy and Aubrey Arnason.
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 the camera on a documentary's subjects and his personal impetus for entering the film industry.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.
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 innovative harm reduction techniques. In this extensive conversation, the two directors talk about the problems with abstinence treatment models, the meaning and philosophy of Kímmapiiyipitssini, Tailfeathers' immersive four-year filmmaking process, her difficulty staffing a fully Indigenous crew and the challenge of bringing in outsiders to film an Indigenous community.
The DGC Podcast is produced by the Directors Guild of Canada National Directors Division and hosted by filmmakers Aubrey Arnason and Katia Café-Fébrissy.