$67,000 IN CASH AND PRIZES GIVEN TO FESTIVAL FILMS AND FILMMAKERS

$50,000 ROGERS AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN DOCUMENTARY ANNOUNCED ON SUNDAY, MAY 7; HOT DOCS AUDIENCE AWARD TO BE ANNOUNCED POST-FESTIVAL

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TORONTO – Hot Docs is pleased to announce this year’s award-winning Festival films and filmmakers. The Hot Docs Awards Presentation, hosted by Garvia Bailey, host of Good Morning Toronto! on Jazz.FM91, took place on Friday, May 5, at the Isabel Bader Theatre, Toronto. Twelve awards and $67,000 in cash and prizes were presented to Canadian and international filmmakers, including awards for Festival films in competition and those recognizing emerging and established filmmakers.

Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award
Unarmed Verses
(D: Charles Officer; P: Lea Marin; Canada)
Unarmed Verses screens again on Saturday, May 6 at 3:15 p.m. at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

The Special Jury Prize – Canadian Feature Documentary
Resurrecting Hassan
(D&P: Carlo Guillermo Proto; Canada, Chile).

Emerging Canadian Filmmaker Award,
A Moon of Nickel and Ice
(François Jacob, Canada)
The award includes a $3,000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs
A Moon of Nickel and Ice screens again on Sunday, May 7 at 10:15 a.m. at Scotiabank Theatre.

Best International Feature Documentary Award
The Other Side of the Wall
(D: Pau Ortiz; P: María Nova López, Emiliano Altuna, Tatiana García, Carlos Rossini; Spain)
The award includes a $10,000 cash prize courtesy of Panicaro Foundation.
The Other Side of the Wall screens again on Sunday, May 7 at 1:00 p.m. at the Aga Khan Museum.

Special Jury Prize – International Feature Documentary
A Cambodian Spring
(D&P: Chris Kelly; UK),
The award includes a $5,000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
A Cambodian Spring screens again on Sunday, May 7 at 6:15 p.m. at Toronto Centre for the Arts.

Emerging International Filmmaker Award
Director Egil Håskjold Larsen
69 Minutes of 86 Days (Norway)
The award includes a $3,000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
69 Minutes of 86 Days screens again on Sunday, May 7 at 3:30 p.m. at the Aga Khan Museum.

Best Mid-Length Documentary
Death in the Terminal
(D: Asaf Sudry, Tali Shemesh; P: Asaf Sudry, Tali Shemesh, Alma Har’el; Israel)
The award includes a $3,000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.

Best Mid-Length Documentary
Lives of Thérèse
(D: Sébastien Lifshitz; P: Muriel Meynard; France)
Honourable Mention.

Best Short Documentary Award
Sovdagari
(D: Tamta Gabrichidze; P: Ilia Tavberidze; Georgia)
The award includes a $3,000 cash prize courtesy of Hot Docs.
Academy Award Qualifying Consideration

Best Short Documentary
Volte
(D: Monika Kotecka, Karolina Poryzała; P: Ewa Jastrzebska; Poland)
Honourable Mention.

Lindalee Tracey Award
Thyrone Tommy
Mariner
The recipient will receive a $5,000 cash prize courtesy of the Lindalee Tracey Fund, $5,000 in post-production services from Technicolor, and a beautiful hand-blown glass sculpture by Andrew Kuntz, specially commissioned to honour Lindalee.

2017 Hot Docs Outstanding Achievement Award
Tony Palmer

Don Haig Award
Daniel Cross
$10,000 cash prize courtesy of the Don Haig Foundation and Telefilm Canada.
As part of the award, the recipient can name an emerging female documentary filmmaker to receive a $5,000 cash prize, courtesy of Telefilm Canada, and professional development opportunities at the Hot Docs Festival to further her career path. Cross named Toronto-based filmmaker Kalina Bertin as recipient of the Don Haig Award Pay It Forward Prize.

2017 Doc Mogul Award
Monique Simard
President and CEO of SODEC

The Rogers Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentary will be announced on the final night of the Festival, Sunday, May 7, at 7 p.m. at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema before a free encore screening of the winning film. Generously established by the Rogers Group of Funds and determined by audience ballot, the award comes with a $50,000 cash prize.

The Hot Docs Audience Award, and top ten favourite audience films of the 2017 Festival, determined by audience ballot, will be announced on Monday, May 8.