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Don Haig look at film strip

A legendary indie editor and producer from the 60s, Don Haig was that rare prolific source. He generously contributed time, knowledge and resources to guide many films and filmmakers—a few right to Oscars. Not bad for a prairie boy.

After his death in 2002, his friends founded the Don Haig Award honouring his legacy. The Award is presented by Bill Schultz, Don’s life partner, and Joan Schafer, an award-winning indie producer. For 19 years, the $5,000 prize has been awarded to a creative independent in recognition of their creative vision, entrepreneurship, and track record with emerging talent in Canada. The only qualifier: they must have a film at Hot Docs Festival.

In partnership with Hot Docs.

2025 RECIPIENT: TORONTO-BASED PRODUCER CORNELIA PRINCIPE

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Cornelia Principe is an independent producer whose documentary films have collectively screened at well over 100 national and international film festivals, been broadcast all over the world, and garnered numerous awards and distinctions, including: an Academy Award® nomination for Best Feature Documentary; Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Coverage of a Current News Story; Peabody nomination for Documentary; Best Documentary Feature, Jury Award Winner, Tribeca Film Festival; Best Canadian Documentary, Hot Docs; Audience Choice Award, Hot Docs; TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten; Ted Rogers Best Feature Documentary, Canadian Screen Awards, and Sundance Film Forward Program.

Principe is currently releasing the feature documentaries Shamed, which premieres at Hot Docs 2025, and Russians at War. Russians at War had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival 2024, followed by the North American premiere at TIFF. Other credit highlights include To Kill a Tiger (2022), which premiered at TIFF 2022 where it won the Amplify Voices Award for Best Canadian Feature Film, and was subsequently nominated for an Academy Award® and a Peabody, and won the CSA Ted Rogers Best Feature Documentary; the award-winning feature Prey (2019); the Emmy-nominated documentary The World Before Her (2012); and the award-winning documentary series Diamond Road (2008).

Principe will receive the 2025 Hot Docs Don Haig Award at the Hot Docs Awards Presentation on Friday, May 2. The jury for this year’s Hot Docs Don Haig Award consisted of last year’s winner Alison Duke, 2023’s winner Bonnie Thompson, and Hot Docs board co-chair Nicholas de Pencier.

Past Recipients

Past Recipients (Emerging Filmmakers)

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