Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and the Panicaro Foundation are pleased to announce that four doc projects have received a total of $80,000 CDN in funding from the CrossCurrents Doc Fund International/Theatrical Stream. The selected films are: Concrete Land (D: Asmahan Bkerat, Jordan), Out of Place (D: Mohammed Al Majdalawi, Sweden), There Was, There Was Not (D: Emily Mkrtichian, Armenia), and A Woman's Path (D: Marjan Khosravi; Iran, Germany).
Launched at the 2016 Festival by the Panicaro Foundation, the international/theatrical stream of the CrossCurrents Doc Fund has allocated $30,000 CDN each year to one or more full-length feature projects in production by emerging filmmakers. This year, given the overwhelming number of applications and the burden on filmmakers created by the pandemic, Hot Docs was pleased to top up the Fund by $50,000 CDN to support even more filmmakers and their doc projects.
In addition to funding, grant recipients will participate in professional development activities throughout the year, including labs with direct access to industry mentors, a set curriculum of workshop activities, access to the Hot Docs Forum, and access to networking opportunities.
Eligible projects were considered by the CrossCurrents International Doc Fund Committee, which included: Caroline Birks (Board Member, Panicaro Foundation), Zeshawn Ali (filmmaker, Homegrown Homies Productions), Hot Docs Industry (Julian Carrington, Distribution Manager & Industry Programmer, Funds).
CONCRETE LAND
Director: Asmahan Bkerat
Producer: Sahar Yousefi
Production company: TBC
Country: Jordan
An intimate look at the lives of a Bedouin family in its struggle to hold onto its traditional life under the pressures of urbanization. Their only wish as a family is to stay together, with their loyal yet eccentric pet sheep Badrya firmly by their side.
OUT OF PLACE
Director: Mohammed Al Majdalawi
Producers: Manolo Diaz Rämö & Beatrice P. Garcia Production company: TBC Country: Sweden
A coming-of-age story built on unique material filmed throughout 20 years following young Palestinians, who have now successfully settled in Europe. An intimate dialogue about personal growth spiced with humor and brutal honesty.
THERE WAS, THERE WAS NOT
Director: Emily Mkrtichian
Producers: Mara Adina & Emily Mkrtichian
Production company: There Was There Was Not LLC
Country: Armenia
The first line of every Armenian fairy tale, There Was, There Was Not tells the collective myth of a homeland nearly lost to war—and four women’s resistance to that loss.
A WOMAN'S PATH
Director: Marjan Khosravi
Producers: Milad Khosravi, Mahdieh Mehvar and Stephanie Von Lukowicz
Production company: Lukimedia, Seven Springs Pictures
Country: Iran, Germany
Golbahar and her family are among the last members of the nomadic Bakhtiari people. She wishes to live in harmony with nature and tradition in a small Iranian village, but her family are eager to embrace the modern comforts of city living.