Sturla Gunnarsson has taken over as president of the Directors Guild of Canada’s national board, following the organization’s recent AGM in Calgary.

‘I’m still getting oriented,’ said Gunnarsson on Tuesday, his first day on the job. He says he’s proud to be leading the guild in ‘turbulent times,’ referring to the Tories’ controversial Bill C-10, as well as ongoing issues surrounding the troubled Canadian Television Fund.

‘The entire landscape is changing…the challenge for the guild is to provide positive leadership in helping to shape that change,’ he adds.

The appointment follows a busy month for the Toronto-based filmmaker, who premiered his feature documentary Air India 182 at Hot Docs, where it was the Canadian opener. CBC this week announced it will run Air India commercial-free on June 22, the 23rd anniversary of the terrorist attack it re-examines.

The 4,000-member DGC also elected a new board, including Nick Kendall as B.C. chair, while Don McCutcheon and Rodney Gibbons will serve as Ontario and Quebec chairs, respectively. Director George Mihalka (Jozi-H, Da Vinci’s Inquest) was appointed first vice-president.

Gunnarsson has won acclaim for his work on feature films including Beowolf & Grendel and Rare Birds, and TV series including Da Vinci’s Inquest and Intelligence. In 1983, he was nominated for an Academy Award for the National Film Board documentary feature After the Axe.

Gunnarsson will serve a two-year term. He replaces Alan Goluboff, who headed the DGC for eight years.