Dawn Wilkinson facts for kids
Dawn Wilkinson is a talented Canadian film and television director. She lives and works in Los Angeles, California.
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Early Life and Learning
Dawn Wilkinson was born in Montreal, Quebec. When she was very young, her family moved to Brampton, a town near Toronto, Ontario. They moved a few times before settling back in Brampton.
Dawn went to SEED Alternative School and later studied at the University of Toronto. She also attended the Canadian Film Centre, a special school for filmmakers. There, she directed her short film, Girls Who Say Yes, in 2000.
Her Career as a Director
Dawn Wilkinson is a director who helps bring stories to life on screen. She learned a lot from famous director Norman Jewison while working on the movie Hurricane. She also taught filmmaking to students at different schools, like the Toronto Film School.
The National Film Board of Canada even asked her to teach young people about making movies. She later directed short documentaries for them called Youth Visions in 2007.
Dawn has directed several films, including "Devotion" and short films like "Instant Dread" and "Dandelions." She has also directed many popular Canadian TV shows. These include family dramas like Heartland and Murdoch Mysteries, and the teen series Degrassi: The Next Generation. She was even nominated for an award for her work on Degrassi. She also directed episodes of comedies like Sunnyside and Kim's Convenience, earning another award nomination for Kim's Convenience.
Dawn is a member of important groups for directors, like the Directors Guild of Canada and the Directors Guild of America. This means she works on many big TV shows. She has directed episodes for popular series such as Empire, All American, Locke & Key, Nashville, and Riverdale.
In 2022, Dawn Wilkinson directed the movie "Block Party." This film was special because it was the first family comedy about Juneteenth. It was released in movie theaters, on streaming services, and on TV all in the same month!
She also served as an executive producer and director for several episodes of the STARZ series Step Up: High Water (Season 3).
Films and TV Shows She Directed
Films
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Dandelions | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1998 | Instant Dread | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2000 | Girls Who Say Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 2005 | Devotion | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2010 | Unexpected | Yes | No | No |
| 2011 | Looking for Dawn | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2012 | Wilderness | Yes | No | No |
| 2020 | A Nashville Country Christmas | Yes | No | No |
| 2022 | Block Party | Yes | No | Executive |
Television Series
Dawn Wilkinson has directed episodes for many TV shows, including:
- How to Be Indie
- She's the Mayor
- Murdoch Mysteries
- Switched at Birth
- Make It Pop
- Heartland
- Single Ladies
- Odd Squad
- Sunnyside
- Degrassi: The Next Generation
- Republic of Doyle
- Reign
- Greenleaf
- Kim's Convenience
- Nashville
- Riverdale
- Beyond
- Reverie
- Dynasty
- Take Two
- All American
- The Gifted
- The Good Doctor
- Roswell, New Mexico
- Empire
- The Resident
- Locke & Key
- How to Get Away with Murder
- All American: Homecoming
- Truth Be Told
- The Mysterious Benedict Society
- Step Up: High Water
- Bel-Air
- Orphan Black: Echoes
- 9-1-1: Lone Star
- Brilliant Minds
- The Irrational
- 9-1-1
- The Better Sister
Awards and Recognitions
Dawn Wilkinson has received many awards and nominations for her directing work:
- In 2024, she won an award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series at the 55th NAACP Image Awards for her work on Power Book II: Ghost.
- She was nominated for a Children's & Family Emmy Award in 2023 for her directing on The Mysterious Benedict Society (TV series).
- She won a Silver Telly Award in 2022 for directing an episode of "Truth Be Told."
- She also won a Bronze Telly Award in 2022 for directing an episode of "How to Get Away with Murder."
- In 2022, she received two Gold Communicator Awards for her directing on "Truth Be Told" and "How to Get Away with Murder."
- She was nominated for a DGC Award in 2020 for directing an episode of Locke & Key.
- In 2008, she received the Women in Film and Television’s Directors Guild of Canada Emerging Television Director Award.
- She won the Best Screenplay Award for her film "Love Child" in 2004.
- Her short film "Wilderness" won a Platinum Remi Award in 2012.
- Her film "Devotion" won the Tony Stoltz Completion Award and the Star! Audience Award at the ReelWorld Film Festival in 2005. It was also named Best Feature at the San Francisco Urban Kids Film Festival in 2005.
- She was nominated for a Directors Guild of Canada Team Award for Best Television Series: Family for Degrassi: The Next Generation.
