Famous Canadian Directors

Canadian film director, producer, and screenwriter James Cameron is best known for making science fiction and epic films. He is the co-founder of the production companies Lightstorm Entertainment and Digital Domain. Time magazine named him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012. He is also an environmentalist.

Known for directing critically acclaimed movies, such as Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, Denis Villeneuve was adjudged Filmmaker of the Decade in 2019 by the Hollywood Critics Association. One of the most popular and respected filmmakers of the current generation, Denis Villeneuve's films have had a major impact all over the world.

David Cronenberg is a Canadian actor, film director, and screenwriter. He is considered a pioneer in what is known as the body horror genre. His films have earned numerous awards, and he has both earned critical acclaim and sparked controversy due to the nature of his work. He often collaborates with fellow actor Viggo Mortensen. 

Ivan Reitman is a screenwriter and film and TV producer and director. He is a co-owner of The Montecito Picture Company. He attended McMaster University, where he studied music. After being fired from his first job at a TV channel, he went on to produce stage productions. Later on, he began producing films as well. 

Best known as David Rose from Schitt's Creek, Dan Levy, the son of actor Eugene Levy, is an Emmy-winning Canadian actor, who has also been a writer, producer, and director. He came out as gay at 18 but only made it known to the media in a 2020 interview.

Amy Jo Johnson is an American-Canadian filmmaker, actress, singer, and songwriter. Over the years, Johnson has been honored at several important film festivals including Long Island Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. A multi-talented personality, Amy Jo Johnson has also directed a couple of films like Tammy's Always Dying and The Space Between.

South African filmmaker, Tosca Musk, has produced and directed several TV programs, films, and web series. Beginning her career in the early 2000s, she teamed up with Jeff Macpherson to produce the web series, Tiki Bar TV. Her movie, Simple Things, received the California Independent Film Festival Slate Award. She is also the founder of the streaming service Passionflix.

Legendary horror filmmaker George A. Romero is best known for his Night of the Living Dead series and for popularizing the zombie film genre. He also gained fame for his collaborations with horror novelist Stephen King, the most notable of them being the film version of King’s novel The Dark Half.

Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan, the son of actor-singer Manuel Tadros, first gained fame with his directorial debut, I Killed My Mother, at 19. He later won the Jury Prize at Cannes with his film Mommy. He has also dubbed for Ron Weasley in the French versions of Harry Potter films.

Born in South Africa, Neill Blomkamp later moved to Canada. He began his career as a 3-D and special effects artist and later turned to direction. He is known for his documentary-style filmmaking that uses the cinéma vérité technique. Two of his best-known sci-fi films are District 9 and Elysium.

Canadian filmmaker and former advertising executive David Furnish is an alumnus of the University of Western Ontario in London. He is openly gay and is married to English musician Sir Elton John. Along with his husband, he is co-chief of Rocket Pictures, a film production company. He also serves on the board of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Canadian actor Seth Rogen established himself as a bankable and popular comic actor when he starred in Hollywood films Knocked Up in 2007 and Funny People in 2009. His other notable films are Steve Jobs, The Interview, Like Father, Long Shot and An American Pickle. He is active in raising awareness about Alzheimer's disease and is an open marijuana user.

Saul Rubinek is a German-born Canadian actor, director, and playwright. Encouraged to pursue acting by his parents, he enrolled at the Ottawa Little Theatre. After a successful Broadway career, he branched out to TV shows and films as well. He made his directorial debut with the black comedy film Jerry and Tom, earning a Sundance Film Festival award nomination. 

Evan Goldberg is a Canadian screenwriter, comedian, and film and TV producer, and director.  He attended Point Grey Secondary School, where he befriended future actor Seth Rogen. The two men often collaborate and have worked together on projects, such as Superbad, Pineapple Express, and This Is the End. They won a Canadian Comedy Award for Superbad. 

Paul Gross is a Canadian actor, director, producer, writer, and musician. He is best known for his association with the popular TV series Due South; in addition to playing the lead role of Constable Benton Fraser in the series, Gross also wrote and executive produced some of the episodes. Over the years, he has won many awards including Gemini Awards.

Leslie Hope is a Canadian actress best known for her portrayal of Teri Bauer in the popular American action drama TV series, 24. Over the years, she has played an important role as an actress in both the Canadian and American entertainment industries. Apart from being an actress, Leslie Hope is also a director.

Raymond Massey was a Canadian actor best remembered for his stage-trained voice. Massey earned an Academy Award nomination under the Best Actor category for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in the 1940 biographical historical drama film Abe Lincoln in Illinois. Massey has two stars on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the film and TV industries.  

The brother of former Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau and the brother of the current PM Justin Trudeau, Alexandre Trudeau is a documentary filmmaker and journalist who has covered events from Baghdad to the Balkans. He is also the author of Barbarian Lost, his reflection on his experiences in China.

Hart Bochner is a Canadian actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He is known for playing prominent roles in films like Rich and Famous, Mad at the Moon, and Liberty Stands Still. Also known for his work on TV, Bochner has played important roles in popular TV series, such as War and Remembrance, The Starter Wife, and Too Old To Die Young.

Suroosh Alvi is a Canadian filmmaker and journalist of Pakistani origin. He is credited with co-founding a digital media and broadcasting company called Vice Media which is currently operating in over 50 countries. As a filmmaker, Suroosh Alvi has produced documentaries that deal with controversial issues, such as the Iraq War and the rise of global terrorism.

Born in China, Domee Shi moved to Canada with her parents at age 2. Inspired by her painter father and, later, by her interest in anime, she made animation her career. Now a well-known storyboard artist and director for Pixar, she is known for projects such as the Academy Award-winning short Bao.

Mack Sennett was a film actor, director, and producer. He specialized in comedy and was known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Canada in 1880, he moved to USA as a young man and entered the fledgling film industry as an actor. He found considerable success and went on to open Keystone Studios in Edendale.