Donald Everett Shebib (27 January 1938 – 5 November 2023) was a Canadian film and television director. Shebib was a central figure in the development of English Canadian cinema who made several short documentaries for the National Film Board of Canada and CBC Television in the 1960s before turning to feature films, beginning with the influential Goin' Down the Road (1970) and what many call his masterpiece, Between Friends (1973). He soon became frustrated by the bureaucratic process of film funding in Canada and chronic problems with distribution as well as a string of box office disappointments. After Heartaches (1981), he made fewer films for theatrical release and worked more in television. Don Shebib was Noah "40" Shebib's father. From Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- January 17, 1938
- November 5, 2023 (aged 85)
- Toronto, Canada
- Director, writer and editor
- 5 on MovieCove · 26 credits in all
What are Donald Shebib's films like?
Across a limited sample of 4 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4
Light 2 · Serious 2 · Dark 0
Grounded 2 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0
Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 0
Steady 3 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0
Casual 2 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 0 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 0
Resolved 3 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Donald Shebib's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 5 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).
Subscription and free streaming for Donald Shebib's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
26 credits, 5 with a MovieCove page.
Nightalk(2022)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Down the Road Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Caitlin's Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Police Academy: The Series (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Dead Man's Gun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Wind at My Back (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
The Pathfinder(1996)
Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
The Ascent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Change of Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
The Little Kidnappers(1990)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Counterstrike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
E.N.G. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
My Secret Identity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
The Climb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Running Brave(1983)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
Heartaches (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Fish Hawk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
Second Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
For the Record (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
Between Friends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Rip-Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
Goin' Down the Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Good Times, Bad Times (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
A Search for Learning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Satan's Choice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Dementia 13(1963)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 26 titles from 1963 to 2022.
How do Donald Shebib's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 27th percentile, the median of all 5; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 33rd percentile for acclaim.
- 50th to 74th1
- 25th to 49th2
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
3 of their 5 titles are Mixed.
- Crowd Pleaser1
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the atmosphere 61/100 and the pacing 39/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Donald Shebib work with?
People who share at least 2 of Donald Shebib's MovieCove titles; Dan MacDonald shares the most, 2.
- Dan MacDonaldShared titles: The Pathfinder (1996), The Little Kidnappers (1990)See all 2 shared titles with Dan MacDonald
- Graham GreeneShared titles: The Pathfinder (1996), Running Brave (1983)See all 2 shared titles with Graham Greene
