Canada’s Independent Producers & Directors Ratify New CMPA-DGC Standard Agreement

TORONTO, December 16, 2025 – Today, the Directors Guild of Canada and the Canadian Media Producers Association announced the ratification of a new DGC-CMPA Standard Agreement. The three-year deal establishes the terms, conditions and rates for directors and other professional crew members engaged in film, television and digital media productions.

“We are very pleased to have reached a fair, secure, and mutually beneficial agreement with the CMPA for the 3,700+ DGC Members in Ontario,” said Victoria Harding, Executive Director of DGC Ontario and Ontario’s lead negotiator. “Within the landscape of a globally fluctuating production industry, this agreement contains improvements that will benefit Members now and in the years ahead, laying the groundwork for increased stability in an unstable time. We are proud that this agreement will allow our Members to keep doing what they do best - elevating the global status of our workforce while ensuring their rights are protected and their contributions valued.

Catherine Middleton, Interim National Executive Director and co-lead negotiator, added,

"This agreement ensures the stability and growth for all DGC Members, particularly in a time of immense change and transformation in the industry. We are proud of this contract and the important gains for our Membership. We look forward to working closely with CMPA Producers to foster new opportunities for our Members to continue telling our stories.”

“The industry continues to navigate an ever-evolving media landscape, and this agreement, demonstrating the ongoing strong partnership between producers, directors, and crew, provides much-needed stability and clarity for the future,” said Sean Porter, the CMPA’s Vice-President of National Industrial Relations and Counsel. “I thank the individuals on both sides of the table for their dedication to reaching a fair agreement that serves to strengthen the sector and bring more Canadian stories to audiences at home and around the world.”

The two groups reached an agreement in principle in November following constructive negotiations. The 2026-2028 CMPA-DGC Standard Agreement will take effect on January 1, 2026, and will apply to productions commencing principal photography on or after that date. The agreement expires on December 31, 2028.

ABOUT THE CMPA

The Canadian Media Producers Association is the national advocacy organization for independent producers, representing hundreds of companies engaged in the development, production, and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema, and digital media channels. For more than 75 years, the CMPA has worked to promote the continued success of the Canadian production sector and to ensure a bright future for the diverse content made by our members for both domestic and international audiences. cmpa.ca

ABOUT THE DGC

The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) is a national labour organization that represents over 7,000 key creative and logistical personnel in the screen-based industry covering all areas of direction, design, production and editing. The DGC negotiates and administers collective agreements and lobbies extensively on issues of concern for Members including Canadian content conditions, CRTC regulations and ensuring that funding is maintained for Canadian film and television programming.