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Speakers on stage at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
Get air play at one of the world's premier podcast festivals! An expanded platform for our country’s rich audio talent, Opening Act offers homegrown podcasters the opportunity to get their shows heard at Hot Docs Podcast Festival, running live in Toronto and online from January 25-28, 2022.

Submissions for the 2022 Podcast Festival are now closed.

Selected participants will have their shows played to a captive, global audience of podcast lovers and get exposure to attending audio executives and industry leaders.

If you’re a Canadian creator, and actively producing an original podcast, submit the best two-minute audio clip of your show for consideration. Winners will also receive a complimentary pass to the Festival and will be listed online and across our various social media channels.

Back to Hot Docs Podcast Festival

2022 Selected Podcasts

Art Intervention

Art Intervention

Hosted and created by Alexandra Hunt

Playing before Back Issue Live with The New Yorker's Kelefa Sanneh

 
Auntie Up!

Auntie Up!

Hosted and produced by Jolene Banning and Kim Wheeler, Executive Produced by Tanya Talaga

Playing before The Secrets We Keep: A CBC Podcasts Storytelling Showcase
Don't Call Me Resilient

Don't Call Me Resilient

Hosted and produced by Vinita Srivastava

Playing before Sneak preview: Thunder Bay, the Crave Original Documentary Series
Living Hyphen

Living Hyphen

Co-hosted by Trisha Gregorio (producer, script writer) and Justine Abigail Yu (script writer)

Playing before Telling Hidden Stories: Invisibilia in Conversation with Resistance's Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. & Bethel Habte
This Is Our Time

This Is Our Time

Hosted, produced and edited by Samantha Hodder

Playing before Michael Lewis in conversation with Ira Glass
You Made Me Queer!

You Made Me Queer!

Hosted by Trevor Campbell

Playing before Full Release Live with Samantha Bee


Eligibility:

  • The podcast must be actively in production or releasing new episodes.
  • Principle podcast creator must be Canadian.
  • Preference will be given to independently produced content.
  • Submissions from all genres will be considered, but priority will be given to shows that favour compelling non-fiction audio storytelling.

What to submit:

  • Please submit a two-minute clip (120 seconds max) that you feel represents your podcast best. The clip should illustrate your show’s premise, content, and tone in a way that might catch the ear of a brand-new audience hearing it for the first time.
  • Clip submitted must be in English or with English subtitles available.
  • Accepted file formats: 44.1 kHz/16-bit stereo audio file in either .aiff, .aac, .wav, or .mp3*
  • The applicant must own the rights to the project or must demonstrate authorized permission to air the clip.

Submissions for the 2022 Podcast Festival are now closed.

Questions? Contact [email protected]