DGC Award for Best Direction in a Feature Film

The DGC Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film is an annual Canadian award, presented by the Directors Guild of Canada to honour the year's best direction in feature films in Canada.

Winners and nominees

=2000s=

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! style="width:8%;"| Year

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rowspan="5" align="center"| 2002
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| Rare Birds

| Sturla Gunnarsson

| Agnes Poirier, [https://www.screendaily.com/rare-birds-soars-at-first-annual-directors-guild-of-canada-awards/4010735.article "Rare Birds soars at first annual Directors Guild of Canada awards"]. Screen Daily, October 8, 2002.

A Nero Wolfe Mystery: "The Christmas Party"

| Holly Dale

| rowspan=3| Sarah Kennedy, [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/directors-guild-unveils-awards/article4138464/ "Directors Guild unveils awards"]. The Globe and Mail, August 16, 2002.

Queer as Folk: "French Fried"

| Jeremy Podeswa

Twice in a Lifetime: "Moonshine Over Harlem"

| David Winning

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2003
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| Spider

| David Cronenberg

| [https://playbackonline.ca/2003/10/13/dgcawards-20031013/ "Spider, Degrassi, Trudeau win at DGC"]. Playback, October 13, 2003.

Ararat

| Atom Egoyan

| rowspan=3| Distin Dinoff, [https://playbackonline.ca/2003/08/18/dgc-20030818/ "Spider, Queer as Folk top DGC nominations"]. Playback, August 18, 2003.

Marion Bridge

| Wiebke von Carolsfeld

Savage Messiah

| Mario Azzopardi

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2004
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| The Barbarian Invasions (Les Invasions barbares)

| Denys Arcand

| D. E. Seguin, [https://www.screendaily.com/arcands-awards-run-continues-with-directors-guild-of-canada-accolade/4020369.article "Arcand's awards run continues with Directors Guild of Canada accolade"]. Screen Daily, October 3, 2004.

The Blue Butterfly (Le papillon bleu)

| Léa Pool

| rowspan=3| Mary Nersessian, [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/arcand-scores-directors-guild-nods/article1002434/ "Arcand scores Directors Guild nods"]. The Globe and Mail, August 13, 2004.

Falling Angels

| Scott Smith

The Saddest Music in the World

| Guy Maddin

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2005
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| Saint Ralph

| Michael McGowan

| [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/saint-ralph-lives-of-the-saints-win-dgc-awards/article4121111/ "Saint Ralph, Lives of the Saints win DGC Awards"]. The Globe and Mail, October 4, 2005.

Blood

| Jerry Ciccoritti

| rowspan=3| Kerrin McNamara, [https://playbackonline.ca/2005/08/15/ciccoritti-20050815/ "Two nods for Ciccoritti"]. Playback, August 15, 2005.

The Confessor

| Lewin Webb

Pure

| Jim Donovan

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2006
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| A History of Violence

| David Cronenberg

| [https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/david-cronenberg-sweeps-director-s-guild-of-canada-awards-1.593632 "David Cronenberg sweeps Directors Guild of Canada awards"]. CBC Arts, October 15, 2006.

3 Needles

| Thom Fitzgerald

| rowspan=3| [https://playbackonline.ca/2006/08/21/dgc-20060821/ "ReGenesis, History of Violence lead DGC noms"]. Playback, August 21, 2006.

Niagara Motel

| Gary Yates

Where the Truth Lies

| Atom Egoyan

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2007
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| Away from Her

| Sarah Polley

| [https://www.ctvnews.ca/away-from-her-takes-best-picture-at-guild-awards-1.258305 "'Away From Her' takes best picture at Guild Awards"]. CTV News, September 30, 2007.

Bon Cop, Bad Cop

| Érik Canuel

| rowspan=3| [https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/bon-cop-away-from-her-to-vie-for-film-directing-honours-1.692915 "Bon Cop, Away From Her to vie for film directing honours"]. CBC Arts, August 13, 2007.

Fido

| Andrew Currie

Poor Boy's Game

| Clement Virgo

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2008
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| Eastern Promises

| David Cronenberg

| [https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/cronenberg-s-eastern-promises-triumphs-at-directors-guild-awards-1.753509 "Cronenberg's Eastern Promises triumphs at directors guild awards"]. CBC Arts, November 9, 2008.

Fugitive Pieces

| Jeremy Podeswa

| rowspan=3| Etan Vlessing, [https://playbackonline.ca/2008/08/11/dgc-20080811/ "Cronenberg, Podeswa lead DGCs"]. Playback, August 11, 2008.

My Winnipeg

| Guy Maddin

The Stone Angel

| Kari Skogland

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2009
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| Fifty Dead Men Walking

| Kari Skogland

| [https://www.ctvnews.ca/flashpoint-passchendaele-big-winners-at-directors-guild-bash-1.447453 "'Flashpoint,' 'Passchendaele' big winners at Directors Guild bash"]. CTV News, October 26, 2009.

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

| Patricia Rozema

| rowspan=3| [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/directors-guild-announces-nominees/article4282073/ "Directors Guild announces nominees"]. The Globe and Mail, August 5, 2009.

One Week

| Michael McGowan

Passchendaele

| Paul Gross

=2010s=

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rowspan="5" align="center"| 2010
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| Leslie, My Name Is Evil

| Reginald Harkema

| [https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/cairo-time-cbc-big-winners-at-directors-awards-1.907715 "Cairo Time, CBC big winners at directors' awards"]. CBC News, September 26, 2010.

Chloe

| Atom Egoyan

| rowspan=3| Craig Takeuchi, [https://www.straight.com/blogra/directors-guild-canada-awards-atom-egoyans-chloe-leads-nominees "Directors Guild of Canada Awards: Atom Egoyan's Chloe leads nominees"]. The Georgia Straight, July 8, 2010.

Faith, Fraud, & Minimum Wage

| George Mihalka

A Wake

| Penelope Buitenhuis

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2011
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| Barney's Version

| Richard J. Lewis

| [https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/barney-s-version-john-a-lead-winners-at-directors-guild-awards-1.1053726 "Barney's Version, John A lead winners at Directors Guild Awards"]. CBC News, October 31, 2011.

Gunless

| William Phillips

| rowspan=3| "2011 Directors Guild of Canada Awards Nominees Announced". Canada NewsWire, August 15, 2011

Score: A Hockey Musical

| Michael McGowan

Splice

| Vincenzo Natali

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2012
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| A Dangerous Method

| David Cronenberg

| Etan Vlessing, [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/directors-guild-canada-awards-dangerous-381464 "David Cronenberg's 'A Dangerous Method,' Jon Cassar's 'The Kennedys' Dominate Directors Guild of Canada Awards"]. The Hollywood Reporter, October 21, 2012.

Goon

| Michael Dowse

| rowspan=3| "Cronenberg's weighty 'A Dangerous Method' leads directors guild nominees". Canadian Press, July 12, 2012.

The Samaritan

| David Weaver

Take This Waltz

| Sarah Polley

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2013
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| Still Mine

| Michael McGowan

| Linda Barnard, [https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2013/10/26/michael_mcgowan_takes_directors_guild_of_canada_prize_for_still_mine.html "Michael McGowan takes Directors Guild of Canada prize for Still Mine"]. Toronto Star, October 26, 2013.

Home Again

| Sudz Sutherland

| rowspan=3| Pat Mullen, [https://www.cinemablographer.com/2013/07/still-mine-mama-lead-directors-guild-of.html "'Still Mine', 'Mama' Lead Directors Guild of Canada Nominations"]. Cinemablographer, July 11, 2013.

Moving Day

| Mike Clattenburg

Whitewash

| Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2014
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| The Grand Seduction

| Don McKellar

| "The Directors Guild of Canada Honours the Best in the Business at the 13th Annual DGC Awards". Canada NewsWire, October 25, 2014.

Cas & Dylan

| Jason Priestley

| rowspan=3| Julianna Cummins, [https://playbackonline.ca/2014/06/20/2014-dgc-award-nominees-announced/ "2014 DGC Award nominees announced"]. Playback, June 20, 2014.

Empire of Dirt

| Peter Stebbings

The F Word

| Michael Dowse

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2015
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| Elephant Song

| Charles Binamé

| Jordan Pinto, [https://playbackonline.ca/2015/10/25/book-of-negroes-mommy-win-top-prizes-at-dgc-awards/ "Book of Negroes, Mommy win top prizes at DGC Awards"]. Playback, October 25, 2015.

The Calling

| Jason Stone

| rowspan=3| Pat Mullen, [https://www.cinemablographer.com/2015/06/the-calling-lead-directors-guild-of.html "'The Calling' Leads Directors Guild of Canada Nominations"]. Cinemablographer, June 18, 2015.

Fall

| Terrance Odette

Preggoland

| Jacob Tierney

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2016
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| Hyena Road

| Paul Gross

| Barry Hertz, [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/paul-gross-takes-top-film-honours-at-directors-guild-of-canada-awards/article32463973/ "Paul Gross takes top film honours at Directors Guild of Canada Awards"]. The Globe and Mail, October 22, 2016.

Born to Be Blue

| Robert Budreau

| rowspan=3| Regan Reid, [https://playbackonline.ca/2016/06/22/dgc-names-nominees-for-2016-awards/ "DGC names nominees for 2016 awards"]. Playback, June 22, 2016.

Remember

| Atom Egoyan

The Saver

| Wiebke von Carolsfeld

rowspan="6" align="center"| 2017
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| Weirdos

| Bruce McDonald

| Jordan Pinto, [https://playbackonline.ca/2017/10/30/vikings-mary-kills-people-win-at-dgc-awards/ "Vikings, Mary Kills People win at DGC Awards"]. Playback, October 30, 2017.

Awakening the Zodiac

| Jonathan Wright

| rowspan=4| Greg David, [https://www.tv-eh.com/2017/06/26/2017-directors-guild-of-canada-awards-nominees-announced/ "2017 Directors Guild of Canada awards nominees announced"]. TV, eh?, June 26, 2017.

Mean Dreams

| Nathan Morlando

Two Lovers and a Bear

| Kim Nguyen

Undercover Grandpa

| Érik Canuel

rowspan="5" align="center"| 2018
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| The Grizzlies

| Miranda de Pencier

| Etan Vlessing, [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/shape-water-wins-production-design-at-directors-guild-canada-awards-1154069 "'The Shape of Water' Wins for Production Design at Directors Guild of Canada Awards"]. The Hollywood Reporter, October 21, 2018.

Adventures in Public School

| Kyle Rideout

| rowspan=3| Pat Mullen, [http://povmagazine.com/blog/view/2018-directors-guild-of-canada-nominees-for-documentary "2018 Directors Guild of Canada Nominees for Documentary"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731063620/http://povmagazine.com/blog/view/2018-directors-guild-of-canada-nominees-for-documentary |date=2019-07-31 }}. Point of View, September 20, 2018.

Giant Little Ones

| Keith Behrman

Mary Goes Round

| Molly McGlynn

rowspan="6" align="center"| 2019
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| Mouthpiece

| Patricia Rozema

| rowspan=2| [https://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/director-s-guild-of-canada-names-best-homegrown-films-and-tv-shows-1.5338127 "Directors Guild of Canada names best homegrown films and TV shows"]. Q, October 28, 2019.

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| Stockholm

| Robert Budreau

Firecrackers

| Jasmin Mozaffari

| rowspan=3| Connie Thiessen, [https://broadcastdialogue.com/jasmin-mozaffaris-firecrackers-leads-dgc-award-nominations/ "Jasmin Mozaffari's Firecrackers leads DGC Award nominations"]. Broadcast Dialogue, September 12, 2019.

Freaks

| Zach Lipovsky, Adam Stein

Red Snow

| Marie Clements

=2020s=

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rowspan="6" align="center"| 2020
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| In the Tall Grass

| Vincenzo Natali

| Lauren Malyk, [https://playbackonline.ca/2020/10/28/michelle-latimer-vincenzo-natali-among-dgc-film-winners/ "Michelle Latimer, Vincenzo Natali among DGC film winners"]. Playback, October 28, 2020.

Akilla's Escape

| Charles Officer

| rowspan=4| [https://realscreen.com/2020/09/22/dgc-reveals-feature-doc-and-short-film-nods/ "Directors Guild of Canada reveals feature, doc and short film nods"]. RealScreen, September 22, 2020.

Our Own (Les Nôtres)

| Jeanne Leblanc

Rustic Oracle

| Sonia Boileau

Target Number One

| Daniel Roby

rowspan="7" align="center"| 2021
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| Sugar Daddy

| Wendy Morgan

| Nick Krewen, [https://playbackonline.ca/2021/10/25/directors-guild-of-canada-reveals-feature-doc-and-short-film-winners/ "Directors Guild of Canada reveals feature, doc and short film winners"]. Playback, October 25, 2021.

All My Puny Sorrows

| Michael McGowan

| rowspan=5| Kelly Townsend, [https://playbackonline.ca/2021/09/24/all-my-puny-sorrows-leads-film-nominees-for-2021-dgc-awards/ "All My Puny Sorrows leads film nominees for 2021 DGC Awards"]. Playback, September 24, 2021.

Brother, I Cry

| Jessie Anthony

Cinema of Sleep

| Jeffrey St. Jules

Come True

| Anthony Scott Burns

The Righteous

| Mark O'Brien

rowspan="7" align="center"| 2022
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| Crimes of the Future

| David Cronenberg

| Angelica Babiera, [https://playbackonline.ca/2022/11/07/david-cronenberg-charles-officer-among-dgc-award-winners/ "David Cronenberg, Charles Officer among DGC award winners"]. Playback, November 7, 2022.

Delia's Gone

| Robert Budreau

| rowspan=5| Etan Vlessing, [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/nightmare-alley-crimes-of-the-future-night-raiders-nominees-dgc-awards-2022-1235226138/ "DGC Awards: 'Nightmare Alley,' 'Crimes of the Future,' 'Night Raiders' Lead Nominees"]. The Hollywood Reporter, September 23, 2022.

Donkeyhead

| Agam Darshi

Night Raiders

| Danis Goulet

Run Woman Run

| Zoe Leigh Hopkins

You Can Live Forever

| Sarah Watts, Mark Slutsky

rowspan="6" align="center"| 2023
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| Women Talking

| Sarah Polley

| Connie Thiessen, [https://broadcastdialogue.com/women-talking-leads-22nd-annual-dgc-awards-wins/ "‘Women Talking’ leads winners at 22nd annual DGC Awards"]. Broadcast Dialogue, October 22, 2023.

Brother

| Clement Virgo

| rowspan=4| Taimur Sikander Mirza, [https://playbackonline.ca/2023/09/20/women-talking-leads-film-nominees-for-2023-dgc-awards/ "Women Talking leads film nominees for 2023 DGC Awards"]. Playback, September 20, 2023.

Days of Happiness (Les Jours heureux)

| Chloé Robichaud

Fitting In

| Molly McGlynn

Infinity Pool

| Brandon Cronenberg

rowspan="6" align="center"| 2024
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| The Queen of My Dreams

| Fawzia Mirza

| rowspan=2| Alex Nino Gheciu, [https://www.brandonsun.com/entertainment/2024/10/28/queen-of-my-dreams-we-forgot-to-break-up-tie-for-top-directors-guild-award "‘Queen of My Dreams,’ ‘We Forgot to Break Up’ tie for top Directors Guild award"]. Brandon Sun, October 28, 2024.

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| We Forgot to Break Up

| Karen Knox

Code 8: Part II

| Jeff Chan

| rowspan=3| Connie Thiessen, [https://broadcastdialogue.com/68790-2/ "Sweet Angel Baby leads DGC Awards’ film nominations"]. Broadcast Dialogue, September 20, 2024.

Really Happy Someday

| J Stevens

Village Keeper

| Karen Chapman

References