FAQ: The Doc Shop

The Doc Shop is a secure, password-protected market platform created to facilitate sales, acquisitions, and festival solicitations. The Doc Shop is accessible to Hot Docs industry delegates, including broadcasters, distributors, sales agents, and festival programmers.

The Doc Shop allows you to make your film discoverable to the Hot Docs Industry community, including hundreds of potential buyers and festival programmers. The Doc Shop enables delegates to browse, search, and view films, providing valuable exposure to titles seeking sales and programming opportunities.

The Doc Shop allows you to share your contact information with buyers, and allows you to access detailed viewing reports, including information on which delegates have screened your film.

The Doc Shop accepts submissions of creative documentaries of all lengths and subject matters. Projects with international appeal that would suit theatrical, broadcast, VOD or educational audiences are welcome.

For further details, please see the Doc Shop Guidelines or contact [email protected].

The Doc Shop is accessible to accredited industry professionals worldwide, including broadcasters, distributors, sales agents, and festival programmers. The Doc Shop is not accessible to the general public.

Yes, Hot Docs industry delegates will be able to access a number of Hot Docs Festival selections via the Doc Shop.

Doc Shop submissions are available to Hot Docs All-Access Online Pass holders. After registering, you will receive an email containing a link to the Doc Shop submission and payment form.

If you have registered for an All-Access Pass and are unable to locate the Doc Shop submission link, please contact [email protected].

The early bird entry fee is $50 + 13% HST, and is valid until March 23. After March 23, Doc Shop entries are subject to a regular fee of $75 + 13% HST.

Discounted rates are available for bulk submissions. If you are interested in submitting 5 films or more, please contact [email protected].

Multiple submissions are permitted, and discounts are available for bulk (5+) submissions. If you are interested in submitting 5 films or more, please contact [email protected].

By default, your film will be available from May 31, 2023, until April 1, 2024. If you wish to deactivate your screener at any point during that period, you may do so by contacting [email protected].

To facilitate access for Industry delegates located outside of Canada, Doc Shop content will not be geo-blocked.

Yes, if at any time you decide that you no longer want your film to be included in the Doc Shop, please contact [email protected].

You may request viewing reports at any time by contacting [email protected].

The Hot Docs Guide to Decision Makers is available via the Hot Docs Online Community. We encourage Doc Shop rightsholders to research attending buyers and their programming mandates, and to contact those who might be interested in your film via their Online Community profiles.

No. Because the Doc Shop is a private, industry-facing platform, participation will not impact your film’s festival premiere status.

No. Placing your film on the Doc Shop does not grant Hot Docs any distribution rights. Your film will be featured on the Doc Shop for the specified availability period only, or until you choose to remove it.

Yes. The Doc Shop uses DRM (Digital Rights Management) to protect your film by encrypting the media data. When your video is loaded into The Doc Shop player, the player communicates with a licensing service to obtain permission to play the video. This secured request is invisible to viewers. DRM prevents viewers from downloading your film without permission.

The Doc Shop utilizes an HTML5 video player. Here are the recommended system requirements for optimal playback:

• Chrome 35+ (Windows Vista and higher, Mac OSX 10.9 and higher)
• Firefox 47+ (Windows Vista and higher, Mac OSX 10.9 and higher)
• Safari 8+ (Mac OSX 10.9 and higher)
• iOS 6+
• Android 4.3+