News

Hot Docs is pleased to announce that six Canadian documentary projects will receive $85,000 CAD in funding from the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Fund. Of the selected projects, two are from Ontario, two are from Quebec, and two are from British Columbia. Established in June 2016 with a gift from the Rogers Foundation, the $1-million fund provides financial support to Canadian documentary filmmakers. To date, the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Fund has distributed $595,000 CAD to 42 documentary projects.

"The 2022 round of the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Fund is a testament to the diversity and talent within the Canadian documentary community," said Heidi Tao Yang, Hot Docs Director of Funds & Labs. "These films represent a wonderful balance of filmmaking styles, stories, and regional perspectives, ranging from urgent reportage to vibrant character studies to creative, contemplative cinematic experiences. We're proud to support another outstanding cohort that add to our growing roster of talented alumni."

Eligible projects were considered by the selection committee, which included Tasha Hubbard (Filmmaker, Downstream Documentary Productions Inc.), Liz Marshall (Filmmaker, LizMars Productions Inc.), Hot Docs (Julian Carrington, Distribution Manager & Industry Funds Programmer).

LUNATIC
Director: Kate Kroll
Producers: Kate Kroll, Pasha Patriki, Michael Paszt
Production companies: Black Moon Media & Hangar 18 Media
She scared little boys and inspired a generation of women. Lunatic profiles the complex life and tragic death of famed women's WWE wrestler, Luna Vachon while shining a light on mental health and addiction in the sports industry.

MANUFACTURING THE THREAT
Director: Amy Miller
Producer: Amy Miller
Production company: Wide Open Exposure Productions
Welcome to an upside-down world where the masters of manipulation and the experts of entrapment make and break our laws.

PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF
Director: Asher Penn
Producers: Asher Penn, Betsy Carson, Mark Achbar, Megan Robinson
Production company: PHT Productions Inc.
Renowned addiction expert and bestselling author Dr. Gabor Maté reflects on his life and work in this intimate portrait, revealing the internal conflicts and turbulent personal history that have influenced his evolution from childhood to the present.

RUSSIANS AT WAR
Director: Anastasia (Last name withheld)
Producer: Cornelia Principe
Production companies: Raja Pictures Inc.
Since February 24, when Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine and the world awoke to a very different reality, Anastasia has quietly and unassumingly been on the ground in Russia taking her camera and risking her safety to document what she encounters.

THE SANDBOX
Director: Kenya-Jade Pinto
Producers: Shasha Nakhai, Kenya-Jade Pinto
Production company: Compy Films Inc.
Logline withheld.

URBAN CHRONICLES
Director: Nadine Gomez
Producer: Dominique Dussault
Production companies: Nemesis Films Productions
Urban Chronicles is a sensory dive into the heart of contemporary cities. It explores, in a unique collaborative approach with city dwellers, what characterizes our lives in a 21st century metropolis and our ability to live in them together.