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Hot Docs announces the film nominees that will be eligible to receive awards as part of this year’s Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, as well as the diverse and accomplished panel of industry experts to serve on the festival’s jury for 2025. All awards for films in competition will be decided by Festival Juries, with the winners set to be unveiled during the Hot Docs Awards Presentation & Reception on Friday, May 2. Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival 2025, showcasing the best in documentary from around the world, will take place in Toronto from April 24 to May 4.

Hot Docs is an Academy Award-qualifying Festival. The winner of the Hot Docs Best International Feature Documentary and the winners of the Hot Docs Betty Youson Award for Best Canadian Short Documentary and the Hot Docs Best International Short Documentary at this year’s Festival will qualify for consideration in the documentary feature and documentary short subject categories of the annual Academy Awards®, respectively, without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.

The nominees for 2025 Hot Docs awards appear below.

Canadian Features in Competition:
These films are part of the Canadian Spectrum Competition Program and are eligible for the Hot Docs Best Canadian Feature Documentary award, supported by Telefilm Canada, and the Hot Docs DGC Special Jury Prize-Canadian Feature Documentary, supported by DGC National and DGC Ontario. Some titles are also eligible for the Hot Docs Earl A. Glick Emerging Canadian Filmmaker Award.

AGATHA'S ALMANAC
D: Amalie Atkins | P: Amalie Akins | Canada | 2025 | 86 min | North American Premiere

CASAS MUERTAS
D: Rosana Matecki | P: Rosana Matecki, Mariana Andrade, Patricio Andrade | Canada, Venezuela, Ecuador | 2025 | 83 min | World Premiere

ENDLESS COOKIE
D: Seth Scriver, Peter Scriver | P: Daniel Bekerman, Chris Yurkovich, Alex Ordanis, Jason Ryle, Seth Scriver | Canada | 2024 | 97 min | Canadian Premiere

GHOSTS OF THE SEA
D: Virginia Tangvald | P: Isabelle Couture, Élaine Hébert, Nathalie Cloutier, Frédéric Corvez, Maéva Savinien | Canada, France | 2024 | 97 min | Ontario Premiere

PAUL
D: Denis Côté | P: Karine Bélanger, Hany Ouichou | Canada | 2025 | 87 min | Canadian Premiere

SHAMED
D: Matt Gallagher | P: Cornelia Principe | Canada | 2025 | 90 min | World Premiere

SHIFTING BASELINES
D: Julien Elie | P: Andreas Mendritzki, Aonan Yang, Julien Elie | Canada | 2025 | 100 min | North American Premiere

SIKSIKAKOWAN: THE BLACKFOOT MAN
D: Sinakson Trevor Solway | P: Coty Savard | Canada | 2025 | 77 min | World Premiere

#SKODEN
D: Damien Eagle Bear | P: Damien Eagle Bear | Canada | 2025 | 75 min | World Premiere

THE TRACK
D: Ryan Sidhoo | P: Ryan Sidhoo | Canada | 2025 | 90 min | Canadian Premiere

International Features in Competition:
These films are part of the International Spectrum Competition Program and are eligible for Hot Docs Best International Feature Documentary award and the Hot Docs Joan VanDuzer Special Jury Prize-International Feature Documentary, supported by MakeWay Foundation-Harbinger Fund in memory of Joan VanDuzer. Some titles are also eligible for the Hot Docs Emerging International Filmmaker Award supported by Donner Canadian Foundation.

HERITAGE
D: Mir Mohammad Najafi | P: Mohsen Ostad Ali | Iran | 2025 | 73 min | World Premiere

HOLLOWAY
D: Sophie Compton, Daisy-May Hudson | P: Alice Hughes, Polly Creed, Sophie Compton, Tarquin Ramsay | UK | 2024 | 87 min | International Premiere

I DREAMED HIS NAME
D: Angela Carabalí | P: Sandra Tabares Duque, Angela Carabalí | Colombia | 2025 | 86 min | World Premiere

I, POPPY
D: Vivek Chaudhary | P: Vivek Chaudhary, Xavier Rocher | India | 2024 | 81 min | World Premiere

KING MATT THE FIRST
D: Jaśmina Wójcik | P: Marta Dużbabel, Agnieszka Rostropowicz | Poland | 2025 | 75 min | World Premiere

NESHOMA
D: Sandra Beerends | P: Floor Onrust | Netherlands | 2024 | 85 min | International Premiere

RIVER OF GRASS
D: Sasha Wortzel | P: Danielle Varga, Sasha Wortzel | USA | 2025 | 83 min | International Premiere

THE SECRET LIVES OF MY THREE MEN
D: Letícia Simões | P: João Vieira Jr., Nara Aragão, Letícia Simões | Brazil | 2025 | 75 min | International Premiere

UNWELCOMED
D: Amilcar Infante, Sebastian Gonzalez Mendez | P: Sebastian Gonzalez Mendez | Chile | 2025 | 68 min | World Premiere

WALLS – AKINNI INUK
D: Sofie Rørdam, Nina Paninnguaq Skydsbjerg | P: Emile Hertling Péronard | Greenland, Denmark | 2025 | 84 min | International Premiere

Films Eligible to Receive the Hot Docs Bill Nemtin Award For Best Social Impact Documentary:
These films are screening in various programs across the festival and are eligible to receive the Hot Docs Bill Nemtin Award for Best Social Impact Documentary, sponsored by the Bill Nemtin Legacy Fund, awarded to producers who find and tell compelling stories that inspire social or political change, and encourage their audiences to change their attitudes or behaviours or strive for policy change.

HEIGHTENED SCRUTINY
D: Sam Feder | P: Amy Scholder, Sam Feder, Paola Mendoza | USA | 2025 | 85 min | Canadian Premiere

KHARTOUM
D: Phil Cox, Ibrahim Ahmed, Anas Saeed, Timeea Ahmed, Rawia Alhag | P: Talal Afifi, Giovanna Stopponi | UK, Germany | 2025 | 80 min | Canadian Premiere

LIFE AFTER
D: Reid Davenport | P: Colleen Cassingham | USA | 2025 | 99 min | International Premiere

MUNDURUKUYÜ – THE FOREST OF THE FISH WOMEN
D: Aldira Akay, Beka Munduruku, Rilcélia Akay | P: Estêvão Ciavatta | Brazil | 2025 | 72 min | International Premiere

PARADE: QUEER ACTS OF LOVE & RESISTANCE
D: Noam Gonick | P: Justine Pimlott | Canada | 2025 | 96 min | World Premiere

WRITING HAWA
D: Najiba Noori, Rasul Noori (co-director) | P: Christian Popp, Hasse van Nunen, Renko Douze | France, Netherlands, Qatar, Afghanistan | 2024 | 85 min | Canadian Premiere

Mid-Length Films in Competition:
These films are screening in various programs across the festival and are eligible to receive the award for Hot Docs Best Mid-Length Documentary, sponsored by Mubi.

AISHA'S STORY
D: Elizabeth Vibert, Chen Wang (co-director) | P: Elizabeth Vibert, Salam Barakat Guenette | Canada | 2025 | 62 min | World Premiere

CLIMATE IN THERAPY
D: Nathan Grossman | P: Cecilia Nessen | Sweden, Norway | 2025 | 64 min | North American Premiere

GARANTI 100% KRÉOL
D: Laurent Pantaléon | P: Kristel Séraphin | Réunion | 2024 | 63 min | North American Premiere

LICHENS ARE THE WAY
D: Ondřej Vavrečka | P: Vít Janeček | Czech Republic, Slovakia | 2024 | 43 min | North American Premiere

NIGHT WATCHES US
D: Stefan Verna | P: Kat Baulu, Ariel Nasr | Canada | 2024 | 43 min | World Premiere

VOYAGE ALONG THE WAR
D: Antonin Peretjatko | P: Nicolas Anthomé | France | 2024 | 62 min | North American Premiere

Canadian Shorts in Competition:
These films are screening in various programs across the festival and are eligible to receive the Hot Docs Betty Youson Award for Best Canadian Short Documentary, supported by John and Betty Youson.

BALANCE
D: Luiza Cocora | Canada | 21 min

BLOODY MESS
D: Megan Wennberg | Canada | 10 min

DELTA DAWN
D: Asia Youngman | Canada | 26 min

KING’S COURT
D: Serville Poblete | Canada | 20 min

LA MAYORDOMÍA
D: Martin Edralin | Canada | 23 min

MY MEMORY-WALLS
D: Axel Robin | Canada | 12 min

THE SNIP
D: Alain Delannoy | Canada | 10 min

A VIEW FROM HOME
D: Mingzhe Zhou | Canada | 16 min

International Shorts in Competition:
These films are screening in various programs across the festival and are eligible to receive the award for Hot Docs Best International Short Documentary, sponsored by TVO Docs.

ALICE
D: Gabriel Novis | Brazil | 17 min

THE BLACK STAIN
D: Yareni Velázquez Mendoza | Mexico | 5 min

THE CONSCIENCE FILES
D: Brian Bolster | USA | 14 min

I WANTED TO HEAR YOUR VOICE
D: James Pellerito | USA | 12 min

INTO THE DARK
D: Fiona Otway | USA | 18 min

IT'S DIFFERENT FOR GIRLS
D: Billie JD Porter | USA | 39 min

LIFE INVISIBLE
D: Bettina Perut, Iván Osnovikoff | UK, Chile, Sweden | 20 min

PLONGEURS
D: Hector Aponysus | UK, France | 12 min

The 2025 awards for films in competition will be determined by four juries. A list of juries and jury members appears below.

Canadian Feature Documentary Jury:
Mads K. Mikkelsen, Head of Programme, CPH:DOX
Sarah Ouazzani, Artistic Director, DOXA Documentary Film Festival
Noland Walker, Principal Content Consultant/Co-Curator, Independent Lens (ITVS)

International Feature Documentary Jury:
Brett Story, Director/Producer
Inti Cordera, Executive Director, DocsMX
Shane Smith, TVO Docs Programmer

Mid-Length Documentary + Bill Nemtin Award For Best Social Impact Documentary Jury:
Alison Duke, Writer/Director/Producer
Sabine Lange, Commissioning Editor, ARTE
Ali Weinstein, Filmmaker

Short Documentary Jury:
Aeyliya Husain, Filmmaker
Yvonne Ashley Kouadjo, Series Producer, Op-Docs (The New York Times)
Ruth Somalo, Filmmaker / Programmer & Independent Curator