2018 Don Haig Recipient, Ina Fichman

TORONTO – Hot Docs is pleased to announce that Montreal-based producer Ina Fichman has been named this year’s recipient of the Don Haig Award. The Award, now in its thirteenth year, is presented by the Hot Docs Board of Directors to an outstanding Canadian independent producer, and is selected by a jury of independent producers. The Award recognizes creative vision and entrepreneurship, as reflected in the recipient’s body of work and Festival film, as well as a track record of mentoring emerging Canadian filmmakers. Fichman helms the company Intuitive Pictures, which is the Canadian producer of The Oslo Diaries (D: Mor Loushy, Daniel Sivan) and Laila at the Bridge (D: Elizabeth Mirzaei, Gulistan Mirzaei), both featured in this year’s Festival. Fichman will be presented with a $10,000 cash prize, courtesy of the Don Haig Foundation and Telefilm Canada, at the Hot Docs Awards Presentation on Friday, May 4.

“It is an honour to receive this recognition from my esteemed colleagues and friends from the Canadian documentary community,” said Ina Fichman. “This important acknowledgement of the work of creative documentary producers cannot be underestimated. I raise my glass to my dear producer colleagues who embody the extraordinary passion, generosity and commitment required to produce documentary films.”

For twenty-five years Ina Fichman has been producing award-winning documentary and fiction films for television and theatrical release, as well as digital projects, and has worked with first time and established directors in Canada and around the world. In recent years her focus has been creative documentary, with some of her credits including Undying Love, Being Dorothy, Black Coffee, S&M: Short and Male, Malls R Us, as well as the interactive project and film 100% T-Shirt. In 2014 she completed production on the animated documentary feature The Wanted 18, which had its world premiere at TIFF, as well as Sturla Gunnarson’s Monsoon. The following year she completed the feature Documentary Vita Activa: The Spirit of Hannah Arendt, which had its international premiere at IDFA and won the Best Documentary prize at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Recently, Intuitive Pictures produced Robin McKenna’s feature Gift and the mobile app Gift-it-Forward. Upcoming productions include Blue Box, a Canada/Israel co-production which received the Best Canadian pitch prize at the Hot Docs Forum in 2017, Inside Lehman Brothers, Kyiv-Kozyntyn and the VR project Once Upon A Sea.

Since beginning her career, Ina Fichman has had the opportunity to mentor many filmmakers from Canada and abroad. Many of her mentees have moved on to become accomplished directors, producers and executives. Fichman is one of the founders of Montreal Women in Film (FCTNM) and Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI). She has sat on numerous industry boards, including DOC and Hot Docs, and is currently on the boards of DOC Quebec and the Canadian Film and Media Production Association, a national organization that represents over 600 Canadian producers.

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. Fichman has chosen to name Montreal-based producers Fanny Drew and Sarah Mannering from Colonnelle Films as the recipients of this prize.