A dramedy about a Pakistani Canadian woman’s complex relationship with her mom and a drama about a small-town Ontario band’s rise to fame were among the big winners at this year’s Directors Guild of Canada Awards. Fawzia Mirza’s “The Queen of My Dreams” and Karen Knox’s “We Forgot to Break Up” shared the award for outstanding directorial achievement in a feature, the organization announced Monday. The DGC awards celebrate excellence in Canadian film and television, recognizing outstanding achievements in directing, production and craft across various genres.
In the TV categories, CBC and APTN drama “Bones of Crows,” about the life of Cree matriarch Aline Spears, picked up two awards, including outstanding directorial achievement in movies for television and miniseries. Tig Fong’s FX comedy horror series “What We Do in The Shadows,” based on Taika Waititi’s 2014 film of the same name, also took home two awards, including outstanding directorial achievement in a comedy series. Meanwhile, Amanda Tapping’s Netflix dramedy “Dead Boy Detectives” won the award for outstanding directorial achievement in a dramatic series.
Kaniehtiio Horn’s debut feature “Seeds” won the Jean-Marc Vallée DGC discovery award, which spotlights emerging Canadian directors. Chelsea McMullan’s “Swan Song,” a profile of National Ballet of Canada artistic director and former dancer Karen Kain, won the Allan King Award for excellence in documentary. This report.