Hot Docs has returned from another successful trip to the Durban International Film Festival and Durban FilmMart.
While there, the Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Award, including a $2000 CDN prize was awarded to Climbing the Mountains (D: Sabrina Chebbi | P: Kenji Accard, Sabrina Chebbi | Co-Producer: Oualid Baha | Algeria).
Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Fund 2025 project Vuka (D: Matthew Robinson | P: Rehad Desai | South Africa) was awarded the Whickers Bursary Award, including a 3000 GBP, for a first-time feature documentary director, as well as the Impronta Films Consultancy Award. Matthew was in attendance as part of a delegation of Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Fund fellows, led by Hot Docs.
Two additional Hot Docs alumni won awards. Akal (D: Basma Rkioui | P: Karim Debbagh | Morocco) took home the Visions du Reel Award and the DOK Leipzig Award. Samaa Gafa (Dry Sky) (D: Ibrahim Omar | P: Aya Tallah Yusuf | Sudan) took the El Gouna Film Festival Award.