Membership to the Directors Guild of Canada is at the sole discretion of the DGC. 

1. You have a signed Director’s contract from a DGC Signatory production.
   
   

   OR

2. You have a Director credit for at least 75 minutes of commercially exhibited content.
   
   

   For the production(s) to qualify, the following criteria must be met:

   • initial commercial exhibition of the production(s) took place within the five years immediately prior to the date of application for DGC membership; and
   • the production(s) must be in a genre and format defined within the DGC collective agreements.

   OR

3. You are an Independent Feature Filmmaker with at least one Feature Film programed in at least two film festivals on the Academy of Canadian Cinema Recognized Festival list within the last 5 years.
   
   

   AND

4. You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

**Click here for a list of recognized film festivals.

Dues

There is a one-time initiation fee of $1,500 and annual dues of $650 (for the 2023 calendar year). Annual dues can be paid all at once or quarterly ($162.50). At the time of joining you must pay the full initiation fee plus one quarter annual dues. The remaining balance will be subject to the deadlines of the quarterly dues payment schedule.

New Member Fee: $1,500

Annual Dues: $650 (can be paid $162.50 a quarter)

Payment when joining: $1,500 + $162.50 = $1,662.50

Application

1. DGC Director Application Form
2. Individual RRSP form. Membership includes becoming part of a group retirement savings plan. This form must have the original pen and paper signature and must either be mailed or dropped off to your local DGC office.
3. NRSP Corporation form. If you are incorporated and wish to have your payroll routed to your corporation you need to fill this out as well as the RRSP form above. This must also have the original pen and paper signature and must either be mailed or dropped off to your local DGC office.

Please send the completed forms to your local DGC District Council office.

Payment

Once your application is approved, your payment options are:

• Online through your personal online banking system and choose the Directors Guild of Canada as a payee. It will ask you for a membership # for which the default is “9999”
• In person or by mail with a cheque issued to “Directors Guild of Canada” 
• Or by calling your local DGC office and processing payment on your VISA or Mastercard

Once you are accepted into membership you will receive a membership package that will include: Membership number, RRSPs contact information, Health and Welfare benefits enrolment package. You will also receive a welcome email connecting you to the director representatives nationally and in your region.

With any questions and for more information on joining the DGC as a Director please contact:

Hans Engel
National Directors Division
hengel@dgc.ca
416-482-3825
1-888-972-0098