from hot docs

Toronto, November 23, 2010 – Hot Docs will present Ally Derks with the 2011 Doc Mogul Award, recognizing an individual who, over the course of her or his career, has made an essential contribution to the creative vitality of the documentary industry, both at home and abroad. Founder and director of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), Derks will be presented the Doc Mogul Award at a luncheon in her honour, to be held during the 2011 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, April 28 to May 8, in Toronto.

“Equal parts mogul and big-hearted diva, Ally has helped to change the face of international documentary co-production,” says Hot Docs executive director Chris McDonald. “She’s nurtured hundreds of filmmakers, screened films to millions of Dutch doc lovers, and bewitched all of us with her infectious laugh and keen eye for talent.”

“As a founder of one of the world’s most important documentary film festivals, Ally’s contribution to international documentary culture is unparalleled,” says Hot Docs director of programming Sean Farnel. “Her sustained, passionate presence and voice as a champion of the documentary form and its community are worthy of celebration, and we know her friends and colleagues from around the world will concur. We look forward to welcoming them to Hot Docs to toast Ally and her accomplishments.”

After studying Dutch literature, and film and theatre, Ally Derks became coordinator of Festikon, a yearly educational film and video festival in Utrecht. In 1988, with the help of the Netherlands Film Institute, Derks started the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and has served as its director since 1989. In 1991, Derks started the first FORUM for the international co-financing of documentaries. From the very beginning this pitching forum, held during IDFA and supported by the European Media Programme, has been a huge success. Ally Derks is also director of the Jan Vrijman Fund and head of its selection committee. The fund supports documentary filmmakers in developing countries. Derks has served on several film festival juries and has won several awards for her contribution to the documentary field, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at DocAviv in Tel Aviv (2007) and the IJ Prijs by the city of Amsterdam and PricewaterhouseCoopers (2008).

Past winners of the Doc Mogul Award include Films Transit International’s Jan Rofekamp (2010), HBO’s Sheila Nevins (2009), BBC’s Nick Fraser (2008) and The Knowledge Network’s Rudy Buttignol (2007).