Directors Guild of Canada (DGC)

Overview

The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) is the national labor union representing directors and key production personnel across Canadian film, television, and new media. Founded in 1962, the DGC covers a broader range of job categories than its US counterpart (the DGA), representing directors, assistant directors, unit production managers, production coordinators, location managers, production designers, art directors, and picture and sound editors under its collective agreements.

The DGC operates through regional district councils covering British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada, and Newfoundland and Labrador. BC and Ontario are the most active districts, reflecting the concentration of English-language production in Vancouver and Toronto. Quebec operates a largely distinct francophone production ecosystem with its own agreement structures.

If you are producing a union film or television project in Canada, the DGC governs minimum rates, working conditions, residuals, and creative rights for all covered categories. The DGC also plays a role in Canadian content certification: productions seeking CanCon designation or treaty co-production status typically need DGC-covered personnel in key creative roles.

Leadership and Notable Members

National President Warren P. Sonoda leads the DGC's National Executive Board, with First Vice President Tracey Deer, Second Vice President Wanda Chaffey, and Secretary-Treasurer Grace Gilroy. National Executive Director Alistair Hepburn assumed the role in February 2026, succeeding Dave Forget, who left in July 2025. Hepburn previously served as executive director of ACTRA Toronto for five years and has over 30 years of experience in the cultural sector, including collective bargaining, contract enforcement, and public policy advocacy.

The National Directors Division (NDD), chaired by Zach Lipovsky, serves over 1,000 director members across Canada. The NDD provides career development tools including craft training, curated meetings with decision makers, mentorships, on-set observing, and domestic and international market delegations.

The DGC's membership includes directors, assistant directors, production managers, location managers, production designers, editors, and other key production personnel across Canada. Notable director members include R.T. Thorne (40 Acres), who received the 2025 DGC Impact Award for his work as first chair of the DGC BIPOC Members Committee and his contributions to greater representation of people of colour in the Canadian screen industry. The DGC presents annual awards recognizing outstanding work by members, with the 2025 ceremony held in Toronto on November 8.

Membership Costs and Requirements

Dues

DGC membership dues are payable quarterly or annually, with a discount for full advance payment:

Members are invoiced by email at least 30 days before each quarterly deadline (December 31, March 31, June 30, September 30). Dues questions go to Dues@dgc.ca.

Work Dues (Paycheck Deduction)

In addition to annual membership dues, 2% of gross wages is deducted from every paycheck and remitted to the Guild on your behalf. This applies to everyone working under a DGC contract, whether a member or not. Once you become a member, the daily permit fee stops.

Permit Fees (Non-Members)

Non-members working under a DGC contract pay a daily permit fee:

How to Join

To apply for DGC membership, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and meet the qualification requirements of the District Council you reside in. Each district has its own specific requirements. The typical entry path is:

1. Register as a Permittee in your district (requires completing mandatory courses)
2. Accumulate work days on DGC-signatory productions as a permittee
3. Apply for Associate or Full Membership once you meet the minimum days requirement

For example, in Alberta, qualifying for Associate Membership requires completing the Registered Permittee Program courses and at least 90 days as a Registered Permittee on at least 3 signatory productions. Requirements vary by district and province.

How Eligibility Actually Works in Practice

The DGC's entry system combines a permittee system with district-specific requirements. Here is how it works in practice:

The permittee registration. You register as a Permittee in your district, which requires completing mandatory courses specific to your district. Once registered, you can work on DGC-signatory productions as a permittee, paying a daily permit fee ($5/day for production assistants, $25/day for all other categories). The permittee system allows you to accumulate work days while paying reduced fees, but you do not receive full membership benefits during this period.

The day-count requirement. Each district sets its own minimum days requirement for membership qualification. Alberta requires 90 days as a Registered Permittee on at least 3 signatory productions. Other districts have similar but not identical requirements. The days must be on DGC-signatory productions, and you must work in a covered classification. Keep detailed payroll records, because the district council requires documentation before approving your membership application.

District variation. The DGC operates through regional district councils covering BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Each district has its own qualification requirements, rate sheets, and sometimes supplemental agreements. BC and Ontario are the most active districts, reflecting the concentration of English-language production in Vancouver and Toronto. Quebec operates a largely distinct francophone production ecosystem. If you move between provinces, you may need to re-qualify in your new district.

The citizenship requirement. Unlike US unions, the DGC requires Canadian citizenship or permanent residency for membership. This reflects the DGC's role in Canadian content certification, which requires Canadian key creative participation. International performers working on Canadian productions can work as permittees but cannot become full DGC members without Canadian citizenship or permanent residency.

Associate to Full progression. Many members start as Associate Members and later upgrade to Full Membership. Associate Membership requires fewer qualifying days and carries lower dues ($450/year vs. $750/year), but Full Membership provides voting rights, eligibility for the National Executive Board, and full benefit coverage. The progression from Associate to Full typically requires additional work days and demonstrated commitment to the industry.

Benefits Breakdown

DGC membership provides health, retirement, and professional benefits, funded through a combination of employer contributions negotiated in collective bargaining agreements and member dues.

Health and Welfare. Employer contributions of 4% of gross wages plus $12/day fund health and welfare benefits, providing medical, dental, vision, prescription drug, and life insurance coverage for eligible members. Coverage is earned through work hours on DGC-signatory productions, with minimum thresholds determining qualification.

RSP (Pension). Employer contributions of 3.5% to 8.5% of gross wages (varying by rate sheet) fund retirement benefits. Before becoming a member, the RSP percentage is paid directly to you on each paycheck. Once you become a member, contributions go into the Canadian Entertainment Industry Retirement Plan (CEIRP) as an RRSP investment in your name. The 2026 Standard Agreement includes a 1% increase in RSP contributions.

Residuals. The DGC collects and distributes residuals for reuse of covered work, including streaming, syndication, and international reuse. Residual structures vary by agreement and production type, with different rates for domestic and international exploitation.

Minimum wage enforcement. The 2026-2028 Standard Agreement includes a 12.5% general wage increase over three years, affecting minimum rates for all covered categories. The DGC enforces compliance through grievances and arbitration, pursuing unpaid wages and benefit contributions on behalf of members.

Professional development. The National Directors Division provides career development tools including craft training, curated meetings with decision makers, mentorships, on-set observing, and market delegations. These programs are particularly valuable for director members building their careers in the Canadian industry.

AI protections. The 2026-2028 Standard Agreement includes a letter of understanding on the use of generative AI in production workflow, addressing the impact of AI on DGC-covered work and establishing frameworks for consent and compensation when AI is used in ways that affect members' work.

Canadian content advocacy. The DGC advocates for Canadian content requirements that prioritize Canadian key creative participation, directly affecting work opportunities for members. The union plays a role in CanCon certification, with DGC-covered directors and production managers counting toward the Canadian content points system.

Employer Contributions (Paid on Top of Wages)

DGC agreements require producers to make additional contributions on top of your gross wages:

Before becoming a member, the RSP percentage is paid to you directly on each paycheck. Once you become a member, it goes into the Canadian Entertainment Industry Retirement Plan (CEIRP) as an RRSP investment in your name.

Current Collective Agreement (2026-2028)

In December 2025, the DGC and the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) ratified a new three-year Standard Agreement effective January 1, 2026. Key terms include:

• 12.5% general wage increase over the three-year term
• 1% increase in RSP contributions
• Enhanced provisions around cutting time and post-production
• Changes to the calculation of tier assessments
• 10%+ increase in per diem payments
• Increased references to health and safety issues
• Letter of understanding on the use of generative AI in production workflow

This agreement covers DGC members in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Maritimes, and Newfoundland and Labrador. British Columbia and the Yukon are covered under the separate DGC BC Collective Agreement.

Jurisdiction: DGC vs IATSE Canada

The DGC covers a broader range of roles than the DGA does in the United States. Understanding which department falls under which union is essential for budgeting a Canadian production:

Canadian Content and Co-Production

Canadian content (CanCon) requirements, administered by the CRTC and funded through Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund, require Canadian key creative participation for productions to qualify as Canadian content. DGC-covered directors and production managers count toward the Canadian content points system.

For international treaty co-productions with Canada, the Canadian director and key production roles must typically be DGC members for the production to receive treaty co-production certification from the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office (CAVCO).

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Producers Shooting in Canada

If your production is a DGC signatory, you must pay DGC scale rates, make RSP and Health and Welfare contributions on top of wages, and deduct 2% work dues from all covered personnel. The 2026 Standard Agreement's 12.5% wage increase over three years affects your budget projections. Use the Indie Film Budget Calculator to estimate how DGC minimums and benefit contributions affect your production budget.

For Directors Building Canadian Careers

DGC membership provides health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs, life insurance), pension contributions through CEIRP, residuals on covered productions, professional development programs, and access to availability lists distributed to productions. The entry path through the permittee system requires patience and persistence, but it is the standard route to union membership in Canada.

For International Co-Productions

If you are co-producing with Canada under a treaty arrangement, you need a DGC-member director and DGC-covered key personnel for the Canadian portions. Contact the relevant DGC district council early in pre-production to confirm jurisdiction and rate requirements. Visit dgc.ca for district-specific contact information and rate sheets.

See Also

For the Canadian actors union operating alongside the DGC, see ACTRA in this directory. For US DGA comparison, see Directors Guild of America in this directory. For the current DGC-CMPA Standard Agreement details, see the CMPA announcement.