Eric McCormack, Zach Lipovsky & Brian Hamilton to Receive Awards at DGC BC Director's Conference-January 24 and 25, 2026, New Westminster, BC

Vancouver, BC (January 15, 2026) – The DGC BC has announced the dates, awards winners and speakers for their Spotlight: BC Directors Conference, which recognizes leaders in the entertainment industry. The conference, which takes place at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster, BC on January 24th and 25th, 2026, includes panels, a pitch competition, screening and gala where the Spotlight Awards will be presented. This year’s awards recipients include acclaimed actor Eric McCormack (Will & Grace), who will receive the Spotlight Award; director Zach Lipovsky (Final Destination Bloodlines), winner of the Industry Builder Award; and producer and Pacific Screenwriting Program founder Brian Hamilton (Bletchley Circle: San Francisco), recipient of the Trailblazer Award. The 8th iteration of the Greenlight Live Pitch Competition will also take place. The awards are designed to honour exceptional talent in the areas of writing, directing, producing and acting.

The two-day conference includes panel discussions, screenings, masterclasses and more, kicking off on day one with a panel on the actor–director connection with Eric McCormack, Kandyse McClure and Tahmoh Penikett moderated by Ali Liebert and another in-depth conversation with some of the team behind the critically acclaimed Shōgun. Other highlights of the weekend include a masterclass with Emmy-nominated director Zach Lipovsky and a screening of his feature film Freaks, followed by the Spotlight Awards presentation and Gala. Other notable names participating in the conference include Amanda Tapping (Stargate), Shawn Piller (Wild Cards, Private Eyes) and Heather Hawthorn Doyle (The Assembly).

The conference ends with the 8th iteration of the Greenlight Pitch Competition, which includes pitches from the top three finalists in emerging & established categories. This year's finalists in the established category are Mark Ratzlaff with Boxtopia, Shannon Walsh with Intimacies and Jennifer Abbott with Animal, and the emerging finalists are Ardy Carlson with Madrid, Chloe Morris with Luminous and Murdoch MacNeil with The Birthday Girl. There will also be exclusive screenings of the 2024 DGC BC Greenlight winning shorts from Tammy Tsang and Kashif Pasta.

The conference is taking place at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster, BC on January 24th and 25th and is organized by the Directors Guild of Canada, BC District Council, the two-day event is designed to support and acknowledge BC and Canadian directors, foster local talent, and encourage networking. The conference will also appeal to anyone who loves TV and film and wants to hear behind-the-scenes stories about some of their favourite shows and films coming out of BC’s entertainment industry. 

The DGC BC Spotlight: BC Directors Conference is made possible through the generous support of Creative BC, Bridge Studios, Truffles Catering, ActSafe Safety Association and members of the DGC BC.

Bios & Quotes from the 2026 Award Winners:

2026 SPOTLIGHT AWARD WINNER: Eric McCormack 

Best known for his eleven seasons as Will Truman on NBC’s Will & Grace, Eric McCormack was nominated for four Emmy Awards and six Golden Globes, receiving the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Comedy in 2001. He served as a producer, director and leading actor on three seasons of the Netflix sleeper hit Travelers, shot in Vancouver, and for three seasons of Perception for TNT.  Other series include Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years, Atypical, Slasher, and Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue. Born in Toronto, Eric got his start in theatres across Canada, including five seasons with the Stratford Festival, eventually starring on Broadway in Tony-nominated productions of The Music Man and Gore Vidal’s The Best Man and in The Cottage, directed by Jason Alexander. Films include Holy Man, The Architect, Free Enterprise and the award-winning Canadian comedy, Drinkwater. He has been honored with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame and on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. After thirty years in LA, Eric is delighted and relieved to be back in Vancouver full time.

“I landed on the shores of Vancouver from Toronto exactly 34 years ago and the people of the BC film and TV industry opened their doors and their hearts to me. And after three decades in LA, I’m delighted to be back here full-time. The work I’ve done in this town, most especially Travelers, means so much to me, and it is deeply personal to be honored by directors and artists in the place I call home.” – Eric McCormack

2026 INDUSTRY BUILDER AWARD WINNER: Zach Lipovsky

Emmy-nominated director Zach Lipovsky started his career on Spielberg's filmmaking competition show On the Lot where he placed 5th out of 12,000 directors worldwide. Zach has gone on to write, direct and produce many film and TV projects, most recently directed Final Destination Bloodlines for Warner Brothers, and is currently in post on a sequel to his 2018 film Freaks. It was recently announced that he will co-write Gremlins 3 and that he is an investor in Vancouver’s independent cinema The Park. 

Zach is also the founder of Shot Lister, the industry’s leading app for shot listing, and is the chair of National Directors Division of the Directors guild of Canada where he works to create opportunities for Directors across Canada. Zach is also the founder of Shot Lister, the industry’s leading app for shot listing, and is the chair of National Directors Division of the Directors guild of Canada where he works to create opportunities for Directors across Canada.

"DGC and my fellow directors have been a huge part of my growth as a filmmaker. I hope receiving this award encourages more of us to keep supporting and mentoring fellow directors because that’s how our community grows stronger." – Zach Lipovsky

2026 TRAILBLAZER AWARD WINNER: Brian Hamilton 

Brian Hamilton moved to BC in 1992 as a freelance editor and over the last three decades has become a passionate advocate for the provincial film & television industry. Brian produced his first project in 1994, a TV pilot that was then ordered to series through a unique “audience vote” process where viewers sent in their votes by fax. Soon after, he joined Omnifilm Entertainment, where he has executive produced more than 90 television and feature projects in both scripted and non-scripted genres, becoming a partner in 2001 and CEO in 2025. In addition to providing strategic oversight, Brian leads Omnifilm’s original development and service production slates and actively seeks out coproductions with local and international partners. Brian is the founding Chair of the Pacific Screenwriting Program, a non-profit that provides professional development and mentorship to BC-based screenwriters. Brian serves as co-Vice Chair of the national board of the CMPA and is a past chair of CMPA’s BC Branch, in addition to serving on multiple other non-profit boards and advisory committees in the film/TV sector. Brian holds a BASc in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo and received his television training from the Banff Centre for the Arts.

“BC’s film and television industry thrives when we create space for new voices and take responsibility for developing the next wave of creative talent. Receiving this award is deeply meaningful. It reinforces the importance of collaboration and mentorship as we work to empower our BC creators to achieve global impact.” – Brian Hamilton 

For a full event schedule and tickets, please visit 2026dgcbcspotlight.eventive.org.

About DGC BC

The Directors Guild of Canada, BC District Council (DGC BC) represents creative and logistical personnel in the film and television industry in British Columbia. The DGC BC covers the categories of Director, 2nd Unit Director, Production & Unit Manager, plus those employed in the various Assistant Director and Locations Departments. The BC Directors Initiative is being mobilized by the DGC BC Directors Caucus, and funded by the DGC BC with support from Creative BC. For more information, follow us on Instagram @dgcbctalent and @bc_directors or visit us at www.dgcbc.ca.