PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW FESTIVAL WEBSITE

Hot Docs is pleased to announce the 19 projects that will be presented during this year’s Hot Docs Forum. Recognized as North America’s essential market for the international documentary community, the Hot Docs Forum will take place the mornings of Tuesday, May 3 and Wednesday, May 4, during the 2016 edition of Hot Docs, April 28 to May 8. This year’s projects represent 16 different countries and were selected from over 200 submissions.

“We want to congratulate this year’s incredibly diverse projects, which showcase a plethora of unique topics and extraordinary protagonists for the consideration of the community of decision makers. Further, we are so proud that the 19 projects that make up the 2016 Hot Docs Forum include representation from 16 countries, 11 female directors, and 26 female producers,” says Hot Docs industry programmer and Forum producer Dorota Lech.

“The Hot Docs Forum is the keystone industry event for documentary in North America,” says Hot Docs industry programs director Elizabeth Radshaw. “This year’s selected projects and attendees reflect the outstanding and outspoken stories for which Hot Docs has become known for.”

Attended by over 500 leading industry professionals, the Forum is focused around a schedule of pre-selected international project presentations made to a roundtable of key international commissioning editors and an observers gallery composed of fellow producers, distributors, sales agents, funders and other buyers. Participating decision makers confirmed to date include Amazon, ARTE, ARD-WDR, BBC Storyville, Discovery Communications, CANAL+, Channel 4, CNN Films, Condé Nast Entertainment Group Digital, DR Danish Broadcasting, EBS, FOX International Channels, HBO, ITVS, ARD-MDR, MTV, Netflix, NHK, NY Times Op-Docs, Participant Media, PBS-WNET, POV, Shaw Media, Showtime, Super Channel, Sundance Institute, SVT Sveriges Television, TVOntario, Vimeo, YLE, ZDF, and many more.

For the eighth consecutive year, the Shaw Media-Hot Docs Funds, Hot Docs Forum Pitch Prize will be awarded to the best Canadian pitch at the event, as determined by a committee of international (non-Canadian) commissioning editors in attendance. The winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize to be used toward the production and completion budget for their project.

The Cuban Hat Award will return to the 2016 Hot Docs Forum, continuing with their “real cash, no strings attached” prize. All the money raised over the two days of the event will be given to the observers’ favourite pitch, as determined by ballot. The Entertainment One Mounties’ Hat Pitch gives Hot Docs Forum observers the chance to secure a last minute presentation slot during the event. A business card will be drawn and the individual will be granted the available 2016 pitch slot.

For more of the Hot Docs Forum please visit website