Skip to main content
Work-in-Progress project stills
The 2025 Industry Conference and Market took place at Toronto’s Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel from April 28 to 30, as part of the Hot Docs Festival, which ran from April 24 to May 4.

This year’s conference featured a dynamic lineup of Works-in-Progress screenings, exclusive one-on-one pitch meetings with key financiers and industry representatives, and a wide range of panels exploring emerging trends and challenges in the documentary field. As the world continued to turn to documentaries for truth, insight, and perspective, the gathering remained a vital space for creators to connect, collaborate and secure financing.


Industry Conference Schedule


April 24, 6:15 PM // Opening Night Screening: Parade: Queers Acts of Love & Resistance

April 24, 6:15 PM // Opening Night Screening: Parade: Queers Acts of Love & Resistance

  • Location: Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
All-IN PASS, INDUSTRY SCREENING PASS
April 24, 9:00 PM // Opening Night Party

April 24, 9:00 PM // Opening Night Party

  • Location: El Mocambo
All-IN PASS
April 28, 9:00 AM // Works-in-Progress Screenings

April 28, 9:00 AM // Works-in-Progress Screenings

  • Location: Innis College Cinema
All-IN PASS
April 29, 9:00 AM // Hot Docs Deal Maker

April 29, 9:00 AM // Hot Docs Deal Maker

  • Location: Barclay Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel, 2nd Floor
ALL-IN PASS
Pre-registration required. Registration is closed.
April 29, 9:30 AM // Conference: Meet the Broadcasters

April 29, 9:30 AM // Conference: Meet the Broadcasters

  • Location: Willard Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 29, 10:00 AM // A Time for Action: The Future Film Coalition with Jon Reiss (Hot Takes)

April 29, 10:00 AM // A Time for Action: The Future Film Coalition with Jon Reiss (Hot Takes)

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 29, 10:30 AM // Close Up With ... Sessions

April 29, 10:30 AM // Close Up With ... Sessions

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 29, 11:00 AM // Chase Joynt and Julietta Singh on Cross-Community Collaboration in Documentary (Hot Takes)

April 29, 11:00 AM // Chase Joynt and Julietta Singh on Cross-Community Collaboration in Documentary (Hot Takes)

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 29, 11:00 AM // In Conversation: Andrew Peterson of YouTube

April 29, 11:00 AM // In Conversation: Andrew Peterson of YouTube

  • Location: Willard Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 29, 11:30 AM // Close Up With ... Sessions

April 29, 11:30 AM // Close Up With ... Sessions

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 29, 12:00 PM // Sholeh Fabbri on Case Study: Plastic People (Hot Takes)

April 29, 12:00 PM // Sholeh Fabbri on Case Study: Plastic People (Hot Takes)

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 29, 12:00 PM // Meet the Platforms

April 29, 12:00 PM // Meet the Platforms

  • Location: Willard Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 29, 1:15 PM // Meet the Distributors

April 29, 1:15 PM // Meet the Distributors

  • Location: Willard Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 29, 2:00 PM // Close Up With ... Sessions

April 29, 2:00 PM // Close Up With ... Sessions

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 29, 2:30 PM //

April 29, 2:30 PM // "What the heck is an Archival Producer, anyway?" Rachel Antell from Archival Producers Alliance and Joel Elliott from the Visual Researchers’ Society of Canada (Hot Takes)

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 29, 2:30 PM // How to Position & Market Your Films

April 29, 2:30 PM // How to Position & Market Your Films

  • Location: Willard Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 29, 3:00 PM // “25 Years of Changing the Story”—Monika Navarro from Firelight Media (Hot Takes)

April 29, 3:00 PM // “25 Years of Changing the Story”—Monika Navarro from Firelight Media (Hot Takes)

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 29, 4:00 PM // Hot Docs Industry Reception: Meet the Canadians

April 29, 4:00 PM // Hot Docs Industry Reception: Meet the Canadians

  • Location: Willard Room and Willard Foyer, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 30, 9:00 AM // Hot Docs Deal Maker

April 30, 9:00 AM // Hot Docs Deal Maker

  • Location: Barclay Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel, 2nd Floor
ALL-IN PASS
Pre-registration required. Registration is closed.
April 30, 10:00 AM // “Documentary Sales...In This Economy?” Val Dowd of Submarine Entertainment (Hot Takes)

April 30, 10:00 AM // “Documentary Sales...In This Economy?” Val Dowd of Submarine Entertainment (Hot Takes)

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 30, 10:15 AM // Ethical Use of AI in Documentaries

April 30, 10:15 AM // Ethical Use of AI in Documentaries

  • Location: Willard, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 30, 10:30 AM // Close Up With ... Sessions

April 30, 10:30 AM // Close Up With ... Sessions

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 30, 11:00 AM // Christina Ienna of Canadian Society of Cinematographers (Hot Takes)

April 30, 11:00 AM // Christina Ienna of Canadian Society of Cinematographers (Hot Takes)

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 30, 11:30 AM // Truth or Bias: Making Documentaries in the Age of Polarization

April 30, 11:30 AM // Truth or Bias: Making Documentaries in the Age of Polarization

  • Location: Willard Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 30, 11:30 AM // Close Up With ... Sessions

April 30, 11:30 AM // Close Up With ... Sessions

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 30, 12:00 PM // The Art of the Follow through with Melanie Hadley of the Indigenous Screen Office (Hot Takes)

April 30, 12:00 PM // The Art of the Follow through with Melanie Hadley of the Indigenous Screen Office (Hot Takes)

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 30, 1:00 PM // Debra Zimmerman of Women Make Movies (Hot Takes)

April 30, 1:00 PM // Debra Zimmerman of Women Make Movies (Hot Takes)

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 30, 1:30 PM // It’s All Gonna Sync: A Broken Social Scene and Music Licensing Case Study

April 30, 1:30 PM // It’s All Gonna Sync: A Broken Social Scene and Music Licensing Case Study

  • Location: Willard Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 30, 2:00 PM // Getting Real After Reality TV with Jen Markowitz (Hot Takes)

April 30, 2:00 PM // Getting Real After Reality TV with Jen Markowitz (Hot Takes)

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
April 30, 2:30 PM // Close Up With ... Sessions

April 30, 2:30 PM // Close Up With ... Sessions

  • Location: Portman Room, Yorkville Royal Sonesta Hotel
ALL-IN PASS
May 2, 7:00 PM // Hot Docs Awards Presentation & Reception

May 2, 7:00 PM // Hot Docs Awards Presentation & Reception

  • Location: El Mocambo, Starlight Room
ALL-IN PASS

 

Get the latest from Hot Docs

Sign up for e-news and keep up to date with the latest from Hot Docs and Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema.
  • Advance notices about upcoming films
  • The latest on festival dates and tickets
  • Customize your preferences
  • Unsubscribe at any time
Sign up