Filmmakers: The early deadline for the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is this Friday, December 3 – the final deadline is January 14, but submit by Friday for a reduced entry fee. The 2011 fest will take place April 28-May 8, so mark your calendars now.
I’ve been able to attend Hot Docs since 2009 – covering the festival and its concurrent Forum for indieWIRE both years, and holding the international premiere of THE CANAL STREET MADAM there earlier this year.
The event, held in Toronto, ON, is fantastically managed, comprehensively and smartly programmed, and attracts a huge audience (our second screening of CSM was on a weekday morning and we had to turn away more than 50 people!). It’s the largest festival of non-fiction film in North America, and, as a result, also draws a significant industry presence – so it’s a must for documentary filmmakers to submit their work to. Among the Hot Docs coverage I’ve done are recent articles from 2010’s edition: here and here.