Since the late 1990s, McDonald has directed dozens of film and television productions. His 2006 film, "The Tracey Fragments", premiered at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Manfred Salzgeber Prize for innovative filmmaking. "The Tracey Fragments" was chosen as one of the top 10 best Canadian films of 2007 by Toronto International Film Festival. He then directed the horror film "Pontypool", which was also selected as one of the top 10 best Canadian films of the year, this time 2008, by the Toronto International Film Festival.