Dawn Wilkinson is a renowned director and screenwriter, born in Montreal and raised in Toronto. She is an alumnus of the Norman Jewison Canadian Film Centre and a graduate of the University of Toronto.
Wilkinson's early work, the visually stylized short film Instant Dread (1998),showcased her ability to combine comedy, fantasy, and scathing social satire. The film premiered on CBC's Canadian Reflections.
As an actor's director, Wilkinson has a talent for getting the best performances out of her cast. Her short drama Girls Who Say Yes (2000) explored the complex emotional journey between two young women whose friendship ends in a ménage à trois. The film premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2000.
In 2005, Wilkinson wrote, produced, and directed her first feature film, Devotion, which stars Jasmine Richards from Camp Rock (2008). The coming-of-age story follows 11-year-old Alice Hope as she struggles to cope with her mother's death and her father's alcoholism. The film is based on Wilkinson's personal experiences growing up biracial in a small town in Ontario.
Devotion won several awards, including the Star! Audience Award at the Toronto Reel World Film Festival and the Best Feature award at the San Francisco Black Film Festival's Urban Kidz Program.
Wilkinson's feature film script "Love Child" won the Best Screenplay award at the African American Women in Cinema Film Festival. She has also directed several short films, including "Instant Dread", "Dandelions", "Wilderness", and "Girls Who Say Yes".
As a television director, Wilkinson has worked on numerous shows, including "Heartland", "Murdoch Mysteries", "Degrassi", "Sunnyside", and "Kim's Convenience". She has been nominated for several awards, including a DGC award for Best Family TV Series and a Best Directing DGC Award.
In addition to her work in television, Wilkinson has directed several hit shows, including "Empire", "How to Get Away with Murder", "All American", "All American: Homecoming", "Locke & Key", "Nashville", "Dynasty", "Greenleaf", "Riverdale", "Power Book II: Ghost", and "Step Up: High Water". She also served as executive producer and director for several episodes of the Starz series.
Wilkinson received rave reviews for her work on Hallmark's TV movie A Nashville Christmas Carol (2020),which was filmed during the global pandemic. In 2022, she directed the BET+ Original film Block Party (2022),the first-ever Juneteenth Family Comedy. The film was released theatrically, on streaming platforms, and on linear television in the same month, making it a groundbreaking achievement.
