Dawn Wilkinson is a Canadian film and television director based in LA.[1]
Dawn Wilkinson was born in Montreal, Quebec. When she was six weeks old, her family moved to Brampton, a suburb of Toronto, Ontario. About a year later, they moved to the town of Acton, Ontario, and five years later they returned to Brampton.[2] Wilkinson attended SEED Alternative School (1992), the University of Toronto (1996), the Canadian Film Centre (2000)[3] and the Short Dramatic Film Program (2000) where she directed Girls Who Say Yes (2000).[4]
Wilkinson is a director who apprenticed with Norman Jewison on the set of Hurricane, and taught filmmaking at Trebas Institute (1999-2001), the Toronto Film School (2001-2008), and Humber College (2009-2010). She was recruited by the National Film Board of Canada to teach local youth about filmmaking, and she went on to be the director of National Film Board short documentaries Youth Visions (2007).
Wilkinson directed the feature film "Devotion" and the short films "Instant Dread", "Dandelions", "Wilderness", and "Girls Who Say Yes." Being awarded the WIFT and DGC Emerging Television Director Award, she directed Canadian drama series "Heartland", "Murdoch Mysteries", and "Degrassi", which she was nominated for a DGC AWARD for Best Family TV Series, in addition to comedies "Sunnyside", and "Kim's Convenience" in which she was nominated for a Best Directing DGC Award.
In addition to being a member of the Directors Guild of Canada, and the Writers Guild of Canada, Wilkinson became a member of the Directors Guild of America and has directed television series including: "Empire", "How to Get Away with Murder", "All American", "All American: Homecoming", "Locke & Key", "Nashville", "Dynasty", "Greenleaf", "Riverdale", "Power Book II: Ghost", and the STARZ series "Step Up: High Water" (Season 3) in which she served as executive producer and director for numerous episodes.
In 2022, Wilkinson directed the BET+ Original film "Block Party" which is the first Juneteenth Family Comedy. The film is the first of its kind to have a theatrical, streaming, and linear release in the same month of its release.
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Dandelions | ||||
| 1998 | Instant Dread | ||||
| 2000 | Girls Who Say Yes | ||||
| 2005 | Devotion[5] | ||||
| 2010 | Unexpected | ||||
| 2011 | Looking for Dawn | ||||
| 2012 | Wilderness | ||||
| 2020 | A Nashville Country Christmas | ||||
| 2022 | Block Party |
Television
* "How to Update Your Status"
* "Gimme Shelter"
* "Lovers in a Murderous Time"
* "Unfinished Business"
* "Left in Charge"
* "Submission Impossible"
* "Reality Bites"
* "The Curse of Reality"
* "Talent Show Redux"
* "Reckless Abandon"
* "Fearless"
* "Build"
* "Pain"
* "The Perfect Lunch"
* "The Jackies"
* "Chain Gang"
* "Clowns"
* "Power To The People"
* "Dig Me Out"
* "Better Man"
* "The World I Know"
* "Young Guns"
* "A Better Man"
* "Call Not Complete"
* "Frank & Nayoung"
* "Hapkido"
* "Janet's New Job"
* "Handyman"
* "Cardboard Jug"
* "Silent Auction"
* episode #98: "Back in the Saddle Again"
* episode #119: "No Place That Far"
* episode #10: "Chapter Ten: The Lost Weekend"
* episode #20: "Chapter Twenty: Tales from the Darkside"
* episode #39: "Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Midnight Club"
* episode #17: "Stir"
* episode #5: "Altumn Somnum"
* episode #14: "The Gospel According To Blake Carrington"
* episode #8: "All About Ava"
* episode #7: "California Love"
* episode #20: "Protect Ya Neck"
* episode #39: "Roll the Dice"
* episode #43: "The Bigger Picture"
* episode #60: "Got Your Money"
* episode #82: "Time"
* episode #101: "Mass Appeal"
* episode #102: "The Next Episode"
* episode #103: "Draft Day"
* episode #25: "hoMe"
* episode #30: "Aftermath"
* episode #12: "Creep"
* episode #81: "A Wise Father That Knows His Own Child"
* episode #89: "Stronger Than My Rival"
* episode #96: "Talk Less"
* episode #9: "I Was Just Wondering What Makes Dames Like You So Deadly"
* episode #46: "Out for Blood"
* episode #7: "Dissection"
* episode #8: "Ray of F**king Sunshine"
* episode #88: "What If Sam Wasn't the Bad Guy This Whole Time?"
* episode #8: "Just a Friend"
* episode #3: "If Wishes Were Horses"
* episode #5
* episode #3
* episode #4
* episode #5
* episode #8
* episode #10
* episode #8
* "Don't Kill My Vibe"
* "Peagusus Girl"
* "It's All Coming Back"
* "Reckonings"