HotDocs: Toronto Documentary Film Festival

HotDocs Toronto, "Bloor Cinema"

hot docs : Links > to Canada's Film Festival Season, centred in our TORONTO

hot docs : 2004 Festival : Programming Overview
Celebrating its 12th anniversary in 2005, Hot Docs will present 100+ films between April 22 and May 1. All Hot Docs screenings are either world, Canadian or Toronto premieres.
Hot Docs 2005 will present films in the following programmes:

Canadian Spectrum
International Showcase
Spotlight on Israel
Errol Morris Retrospective
Focus On Larry Weinstein
RealKids, RealTeens

The complete festival programme will be announced on March 30.

Canadian Spectrum
A selection of the absolute best in Canadian documentary film, featuring voices from across the country, highlighting the diversity of Canada's cultural landscape.
- Sponsored by OMNI Diversity Television.

International Showcase
After receiving submissions from an astounding 80+ countries for the 2005 festival, Hot Docs programmers will choose the best in non-fiction film from around the globe, representing emerging and established documentary traditions.
- Sponsored by The Documentary Channel.

Spotlight on Israel
Hot Docs is pleased to announce that the festival's "Spotlight On..." programme for 2005 will feature a curated selection of documentaries from Israel. In the past, Hot Docs has focused on a number of regions, including The Netherlands (2004), the United Kingdom (2003), and Germany (2002).

Hot Docs has a strong history of programming compelling films that explore Middle Eastern culture and issues. Most recently, the 2004 festival included Audience Award winner DEATH IN GAZA (D: James Miller) and the critically acclaimed docs CHECKPOINT (D:Yoav Shamir), ARNA'S CHILDREN (D: Dannial Dannial and Juliano Mer Khomis), and NO. 17 (D: David Ofek).

Programmed by Hot Docs' Executive Director, Chris McDonald and Managing Director, Brett Hendrie, the Spotlight on Israel is sure to reveal the quality and tradition of an exciting national cinema, featuring a variety of voices from the most accomplished and compelling Israeli filmmakers.

- Sponsored by Vision TV, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consulate General of Israel in Toronto.

Errol Morris Retrospective
Hot Docs' Board of Directors has selected Oscar®-winner Errol Morris as the recipient of its Outstanding Achievement Award, which is bestowed annually in recognition of a director's enduring contribution to documentary arts. As part of the honour, the festival will feature a retrospective programme of Morris' films, and Morris will appear at a special event during the festival.

Focus On Larry Weinstein
The Focus On Larry Weinstein marks the fourth edition of Hot Docs'annual programme showcasing the talent of an established Canadian director recognized for his or her contribution to the documentary filmmaking.
Working with leading cultural broadcasters throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America, Weinstein's films have been televised in over 40 countries. Taking top awards at festivals in Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Prague, and many others, including the Best Direction award at Hot Docs in 2001, Weinstein is recognized as one of Canada' most internationally sought-after filmmakers. The series will present four of Weinstein' acclaimed films on the art of making music.

RealKids, RealTeens
Providing an early introduction to the documentary genre, this series presents four international films highlighting the concerns and activities of children and adolescents, specially selected for their relevance and appeal to a younger audience.
- Sponsored by Toronto Star


hot docs : Toronto Documentary Forum : Intro and Deadlines
April 27-28, 2005

INTRO AND DEADLINES
English Français Deutscher Españoles

Deadline for Pitch Slot submissions: Wednesday February 9, 2005
Deadline for Observer Seat entries: Thursday March 17, 2005

The sixth annual Toronto Documentary Forum (TDF) will take place April 27-28, 2005 during the festival which runs April 22-May 1. It is a limited-seating event requiring separate, advance accreditation independent of any other Hot Docs pass.

The TDF has enjoyed a vibrant first five years during which it quickly established itself as the international community's stand-out North American gathering spot for producers and commissioning editors of social, political and cultural documentaries. Delegates report over $5M raised for projects pitched at the event and a myriad of relationships borne, whether between commissioning editors and producers, one broadcaster to another, or distributors and producers.

NEW FOR 2005
It's been a dynamic five years and, in response to the interests of its delegates and the evolving international market, the TDF is pleased to announce some enhancements for its 2005 edition.

For the first time feature-length documentary projects at a rough-cut stage seeking completion financing which have not yet secured market financing (i.e. broadcaster or distributor) will be considered for up to five of the pre-selected pitch slots.

New TDF services for 2005 include pre-arranged post-pitch meetings between participating financiers and TDF pitch teams. Additionally, TDF pitching alumni will be given the opportunity to provide status updates for their previously pitched projects in the 2005 Project Catalogue.

THE TDF FORMAT
The TDF is a pitching forum that assists independent documentary producers from around the world and their market partners raise co-financing from the international marketplace. For buyers, the format offers a slate of pre-selected projects in development and production by some of the world's most interesting filmmakers. Launched in 2000, the TDF is recognised as the most effective international market in North America for producers, broadcasters and others working in the social, political and cultural documentary genres. Over 85 key international broadcasters from Europe, Australia, the USA and Canada regularly attend and each year over 60% of the projects pitched are successful in attracting additional financing.

In 2005 the TDF will offer up to 30 fifteen-minute pre-selected pitch slots. Projects by independent documentary producers/filmmakers of all nationalities are eligible for consideration. Projects can either be in development or already in production and must have approximately 20 to 25% of its financing in place. To trigger eligibility a broadcaster or distributor with a cash investment must be attached who will attend and participate in the pitch. In 2005 the slots newly dedicated to feature-length projects at a rough-cut stage do not require a trigger financier. (See Guidelines tab for more details.) The TDF also offers up to three additional "Mountie's Hat" pitch slots are drawn by lottery during the TDF from the business cards of interested producers in attendance.

In addition to the pitch teams and participating broadcasters, approximately 150 Observer seats are made available for other industry professionals to attend (producers, foundations, other broadcasters, as well as a limited number of distributors, sales agents, etc.).

Each pitch slot is fifteen minutes, including a seven-minute presentation from the production team and their trigger broadcaster which may include a one or two-minute video clip, and an eight-minute discussion and response period. Two moderators, acting on behalf of the producer, lead and focus the discussions, bringing financing and valuable feedback to the production team. The rough-cut pitch slots will operate in a similar way but the pitch team will not include a trigger financier, and, in addition to the option of showing a video clip during the pitch, a copy of the full rough-cut will be filed and available for viewing at Hot Docs Doc Shop.

This is a superb way to place a documentary project in front of key international partners, as well as an invaluable event for up-to-the-minute market intelligence for all participants, whether buyer or seller.

The TDF is a bilingual event offering simultaneous French and English translation to its participants.

Documentary commissioning editors or acquisition executives from broadcasters interested in participating in the TDF should contact Michaelle McLean, Director/TDF using our Contact Form or by telephone at 416-203-2155, ext. 228.

The TDF is based on a format developed by the FORUM for International Co-Financing of Documentaries in Amsterdam and their partner, the European Documentary Network (EDN), and is used with permission.