Applications for the 2025 DGC BC Greenlight will open August 2025.

Launched in 2018, DGC BC Greenlight, formerly known as the DGC BC Short Film Award, provides two DGC BC Members in Good Standing with a $30,000 cash award, plus in-kind production services valued up to $75,000, to make a short film for the festival circuit. Unless stated otherwise, applications for DGC BC Greenlight will open in August of each year with submissions closing in September.

Eligibility and submissions requirements are subject to change. For the most up to date requirements, Members should refer to the official guidelines provided via email each year.

Learn more about:

• Eligibility
• Application Process
• In-Kind Services
• Past Winners + Q&A Recording

Eligibility

Below are some general eligibility requirements Members can expect for DGC BC Greenlight:

• Applicant must be a Member in Good Standing currently residing in British Columbia and the Director of the proposed project. There is a limit of one application per Director.
• The Director and Producer may not be the same person.
• Applicant must have creative control and final cut over the proposed project in perpetuity (at least 51% to maintain majority control).
• Applicant cannot have previously won the Emerging or Established award.
• Applicant must agree to grant the DGC BC the right to stream, screen, and exploit the completed film (non-commercial use and promotional purposes only). 
• Applicant must agree that the World Premiere screening of the completed film will be at the discretion of the Directors Guild of Canada, BC District Council.

There are two categories for which DGC BC Members can apply, depending on their eligibility:

DGC BC Emerging Greenlight

Awarded to one DGC BC Full Member or Associate Member in Good Standing. To be eligible for the Emerging Greenlight, applicant cannot be a Director, Documentary Director or 2nd Unit Director Member.

Members of the Directors Caucus should please see the DGC BC Established Greenlight for additional eligibility information.

DGC BC Established Greenlight

Awarded to one DGC BC Director Caucus Member in Good Standing. The DGC BC Directors Caucus includes Directors, Documentary Directors, and 2nd Unit Directors.

The Established Greenlight includes additional eligibility and submission requirements including, but not limited to:

• having a directors.ca profile with an up-to-date demo reel
• providing a portion of a scene of past work (scripted, unscripted, animation, commercial etc.) with a maximum length of one-minute

All DGC BC Members who are not in the Directors Caucus (and have not previously won a DGC BC Established Filmmaker Award or a DGC BC Emerging Filmmaker Award) are eligible for the DGC BC Emerging Greenlight.

Application Process

The DGC BC Greenlight application is conducted via Wufoo. Members are encouraged to ensure that they have all attachments prepared before starting the application. Documents must be prepared as one PDF file and typically includes:

• Logline and one-paragraph synopsis (250 word maximum).
• Original script with a maximum length of twelve (12) pages.
• Signed agreement from the writer of the script (if not the submitting DGC BC Member) acknowledging their approval to have their work submitted for consideration.
• Director vision statement with a maximum length of five pages. Those applying for the Established Greenlight may have additional requirements for this vision statement. 
• Producer statement (500 word maximum).
• Director's resume and filmography
• Producer's resume and filmography
• Proposed production budget.Template available here.
  •  Any additional funding not provided by DGC BC Greenlight must be secured by the time of application.
• Proposed one-line schedule
• Proposed one-page workplace safety plan

Applicants must also include an additional submission copy of their documents (to be uploaded as one PDF file) for the anonymous jury adjudication. This copy must have all names (Director, Producer, Writer and all creative's names) removed. 

As submission requirements are subject to change, applicants are encouraged to refer to the official guidelines sent over email each year to ensure their documentation is prepared appropriately.

In-Kind Services

The “in-kind” donation of services by will have a value of up to $75,000. Possible support available will include pre-production (e.g. office space, accounting, mentorship), production (e.g. lights, cameras, materials, stock, stage space, photocopying and publicity), and post-production (e.g. editing, transfers, dubbing and VFX).

Winners should be aware of an overreliance or expectation of “in- kind” support. Relying on any one supplier is problematic and discouraged. All “in- kind” support is subject to availability at the time of production and therefore cannot be guaranteed. Planning the production period to occur when resources are more likely to be available is advised. 

Previous Winners:

Learn more about the DGC BC Greenlight experience from previous winners Angie Nolan, Asia Youngman, and Lucie Guest in this Q&A chat from 2023.

Now available, our 2024 DGC BC Greenlight Q&A with 2022 recipients Angie Nolan and Arnold Lim, hosted by 2020 recipient Asia Youngman.

Check out the full list of previous winners:

2024

• Established: Kashif Pasta, Day One
• Emerging: Tammy Tsang, Last Night Together

2023

• Established: Karen Lam, Mrs. Chang's Perfect Teeth

In this surrealist horror short film, a young Chinese woman learns the true price of success when she is conscripted to work in Mrs. Chang’s foot massage emporium. 

• Emerging: Ken Kabatoff, The Doukhobor

One year ago, the girl escaped the dark creature in the forest. Now it wants her back. A horror-drama inspired by the nearly forgotten history of the Freedomite Doukhobors.

2022

• Established: Arnold Lim, Obscura
  

When Sang-Ook, a 19-year-old hikikomori (shut in) clashes with his grandfather and sister he creates a camera obscura to reconnect with his family and the outside world.

• Emerging: Angie Nolan, The Scribe of Samhain

On the eve of Samhain, an ailing author summons the genius spirit she believes to be trapped in her typewriter in order to help her write her magnum opus.

2021

• Established: Lucie Guest, Been Better, Actually
  

"Been Better, actually" is the story of a woman in her late 30s, HER, who is struggling to find closure.

• Emerging: A.W. Hopkins, Cloud Striker

Set in Western Canada in the 1930s, the Chief of an Indian Band rides for days to a Residential School to reclaim his son, whom church authorities have seized.

2020

• Established: Milo Shandel, Quarantine Fling

Watch Quarantine Fling on YouTube

“How far would you go to keep your parents out of your bubble?”

• Emerging: Asia Youngman, n'xaxaitkw

Watch n'xaxaitkw on Vimeo and CBC Gem

After moving to a new town, a teenager must navigate peer pressure when her next-door neighbour convinces her to explore a nearby island in search of a legendary lake monster.

2019

• Legacy: Christie Will Wolf, Her Coming
  

Watch Her Coming on Vimeo

HER COMING takes us into the future where the planet is ruled and governed by womyn, after the male human is decimated from his war on Mother Earth following the mishap of cloning Jesus Christ into a girl.

• Emerging: Brian McWha, Tsunami Falls 

Watch Tsunami Falls on Vimeo - password: tsunami2020

Thomas wakes up to discover his end is near and must come to terms with the life he has and hasn't lived.

2018

• Legacy: Jeremy Lutter, We Came From The Sea

Watch We Came From The Sea on YouTube

Einar is an addict recently abandoned by his wife and five year-old daughter.  As he fights to go clean in their oceanside home, Einar is haunted by an uninvited stranger.

• Emerging: Gabriel Correa, Beautiful Gun

Watch Beautiful Gun on Vimeo

Jesse is on a journey to find his soul, identity, and the perfect Christmas tree.