Hot Docs-blue Ice Group Documentary Fund awards $115,000 to 10 African doc projects

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and Blue Ice Group are pleased to announce that 10 African film projects have been chosen to receive a total of $115,000 CAD in development and production grants from the Hot Docs-blue Ice Group Documentary Fund in its ninth round of disbursements. Selected from 80 submissions from 26 different African countries, six projects will receive development grants, one will receive a production grant, and three will receive completion grants.

Five of the grant recipients will also receive support to attend Hot Docs 2020, where they will take part in a creative filmmakers’ lab, attend Hot Docs screenings, conference sessions, the Hot Docs

Forum and various networking events, and participate in a yearround peer-to-peer mentorship program. They will also receive support to attend a festival/market in Africa.

The $2.35-million Hot DocsBlue Ice Group Documentary Fund was created in 2011 to help enable more African documentary filmmakers to tell their own stories, and contribute to the African documentary community’s next generation. To date, the Hot Docs-blue Ice Group Documentary Fund has awarded grants to 69 projects from 23 countries, as well as travel, accommodation and accreditation support to attend the Hot Docs Festival and Hot Docs-blue Ice Group Filmmakers Lab, Durban International Film Festival, Durban Filmmart, and Atlas Workshops.

Eligible projects were considered by the Hot Docs- Blue Ice Group Documentary Fund Selection Committee: Hicham Falah ( Artistic Director, SENTOO), Anjali Nayer (Ink & Pepper Productions), Elizabeth Radshaw ( Industry Programs Director, Hot Docs), Heidi Tao Yang (Industry Funds Manager, Hot Docs), and Neiloe Whitehead (independent).

The projects that will receive Development Grants include: African Moot, Kongo Is Burning, Land Of Women, Soweto Spinning, Speaking Through Dreams and The Witness From The Shadow.

As well, Bomb Bay will receive Production Grant while Days of Cannibalism, Like Real Lovers and Wandering Stars will receive Completion Fund Grants