We've announced the winners of $50,000 CDN in pitch prizes at this year’s Hot Docs Forum, the Festival’s acclaimed international co-financing market event and the flagship industry event, including $40,000 in first look Pitch Prizes and the $10,000 CMF-Hot Docs Forum Canadian Pitch Prize. Hot Docs 2022 industry pass holders can watch a selection of Hot Docs Forum pitches and feedback on the Swapcard online event platform.
"The resilience and creativity of our documentary creators and dedicated support from decision maker community is most powerfully displayed in this 2022 edition of the Hot Docs Forum," shared Elizabeth Radshaw, Hot Docs industry programs director. "It is a true honour to see this documentary family grow."
"The 20 teams who pitched in the Forum spent months–sometimes years–preparing for moments like this," said Dorota Lech, Hot Docs Forum producer. "We know that the expertise and knowledge around this table will legitimize, support, and help launch these films and are honoured to be a step on their artistic journeys. I'm especially in awe of each artist's perseverance, tenacity, and courage and grateful to the decision makers for their generosity of spirit and guidance in helping these magnificent, joyous, sometimes heart-breaking, often unbelievable films reach audiences."
Financed by participants of Hot Docs first look program, a curated access program for philanthropic supporters of and investors in documentary film, first look Pitch Prizes are decided on by participants after viewing all pitches. Awarded directly to the filmmakers, the prizes take them one step closer to completing their film and creating lasting social impact for the causes associated with their work.
The first prize of $25,000 CDN was awarded to:
The Queendom
D: Otilia Portillo | P: Paula Arroio Sandoval | Oscura Producciones S.A. de C.V. (Mexico))
Three Mexican Indigenous scientists—all women—partner with mushrooms to fight for their territories.
The second prize of $15,000 CDN was awarded to:
A Woman's Path
D: Marjan Khosravi | P: Milad Khosravi, Stephanie Von Lukowicz | Seven Spring Pictures (Iran), Lukimedia (Spain)
The story of a woman who is forced to abandon her nomadic lifestyle after being betrayed by her family.
The CMF-Hot Docs Forum Canadian Pitch Prize, presented in partnership with the Canada Media Fund, is a $10,000 cash prize that is awarded to the best Canadian pitch and is intend to go towards the production and completion of the winning project.
The 2022 CMF-Hot Docs Forum Canadian Pitch Prize was awarded to:
Untitled Labor Union Documentary
D: Brett Story, Stephen Maing | P: Mars Verrone, Samantha Curley | Level Ground Productions LLC (USA), Oh Ratface Films (Canada)
An intimate portrait of workers taking on one of the world’s most powerful companies in the fight to unionize.
At this year's Hot Docs Forum, 20 projects–represented by 26 filmmakers, 15 of whom are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) and 14 of whom are women–representing 19 countries, were presented to a live digital room of more than 50 key funders and decision makers as well as filmmakers, producers, and other observers.
At Hot Docs Deal Maker, the Festival’s one-on-one curated pitch event, a total of 55 projects pitched in more than 750 pre-arranged meetings to more than 96 decision makers. Distribution Rendezvous, the tailored meeting service for completed films seeking distribution, facilitated more than 900 meetings for 114 projects.
Additionally, 14 Doc Accelerator fellows from across Canada participated in private programming which will continue in the coming months.
This year, Hot Docs offered a hybrid industry program, with three days of Hot Docs Industry LIVE sessions and social events, and online programs that included Hot Docs Forum, Hot Docs Deal Maker, Distribution Rendezvous and additional industry content. 1941 registered delegates, including 218 decision makers, from 74 countries participated in this year's live and online industry programs at Hot Docs. Hot Docs LIVE featured: a keynote and spotlight conversation with Christine Choy, two Works-in-Progress Screenings, two Hot Docs Forum Talk Back sessions, three World Record sessions, and eight other sessions covering such timely topics as solidarity with Ukrainian filmmakers, racial equity in the industry and more.
Hot Docs also hosted 10 official delegations from: Atlantic Canada, led by Lunenburg Doc Fest; Chile, led by Chiledoc and financed by the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, in collaboration with ProChile; European filmmakers, led by the European Film Promotion; Germany, led by AG DOK; Ireland, led by Docs Ireland; Italy, led by the Italian Trade Commission; and Manitoba, led by On Screen Manitoba.