Hot Docs has announced the 28 projects that will be presented during this year’s Toronto Documentary Forum (TDF), North America’s largest market for the international documentary community. The TDF will take place May 5-6, 2010 during the Hot Docs Festival, Conference and Market, which runs April 29-May 9, 2010. This year’s projects were selected from 175 submissions and represent 11 different countries.
“Our goal for the TDF is simply to match content with funding and support,” says Elizabeth Radshaw, director of the Toronto Documentary Forum, said in a statement, “all the while exchanging valuable industry information in an arena that drives innovation and excellence in documentary filmmaking and factual content production. Recently, the documentary industry has seen changes such as shrinking commission budgets, fewer broadcast slots and a shift towards cross media content. Our pitching structure is widening to encompass these elements by welcoming key decision makers such as commissioning editors, interactive executives, distributors, sales agents and third sector representatives to the table.”
A showcase forum for over 500 leading industry professionals, the TDF is focused around a schedule of 25 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 buyers confirmed to date include ARTE, BBC, CBC/SRC, Channel 4, E1 Entertainment, Films Transit International Inc., HBO, NHK, RAI, Sundance Channel, TVOntario, YLE, ZDF, and others.
For the second consecutive year, the Canwest-Hot Docs Funds TDF Pitch Prize will be awarded to the best Canadian pitch at the 2010 event, as determined by the votes of international (non-Canadian) commissioning editors in attendance. The winner will receive a $40,000 cash prize to be used towards the production and completion budget for their project.
At last year’s event (which indieWIRE gave a run down of, the Cuban Hat Award was established in an impromptu display of collegial support as TDF Observers passed the hat to raise close to $1400 for their favourite pitch at the Forum. Continuing with their “real cash, no strings attached” award, the organizers have since presented the Cuban Hat Award at the 2009 IDFA Forum and will be returning it to the TDF in 2010. All the money raised over the two days of the TDF will be given to the Observers’ favourite pitch, as determined by ballot.
The following projects (ordered by country) will be presented at this year’s TDF:
Canada
Buzkashi!
Buzkashi Productions Inc.
Canada
China Heavyweight
Necessary Illusions
Canada
End Of Everest
Dunnmedia/Big Red Barn Entertainment
Canada
Family Portrait In Black And White
Interfilm Productions Inc.
Canada
The Fruit Hunters
Eyesteelfilm
Canada
The House That Herman Built
Storyline Entertainment
Canada
The Real Joey Lawrence
Canamedia Productions
Canada
The Wanted 18
Intuitive Pictures Inc.
Egypt
In Search Of Oil & Sand
Middle West Films
Finland
Leaping Over The Dragon’s Gate
Nbb Navy Blue Bird Oy
France
Jeans A Faded Blue Planet
Les Films Du Tambour De Soie
France
The Diaper Dilemma
Nord-Ouest Documentaires
Germany
Istanbul 360°: A Bridge In Istanbul
Kloos & Co. Medien Gmbh
Germany
Tall Girls
Avanti Media
Israel
Nice Jewish Boy
Halpern Productions
Italy
Cosmic Energy Inc.
Eie Film
Japan
Twice
Takiseeds/Nhk Enterprises
Saudi Arabia
Let Me Entertain You
Eggdancer Productions
UK
Columbus
Red Earth Studio
USA
Africa10
Africa Ten Enterprises, Llc
USA
Artcirq: The Inuit Circus
Northern Light Productions
USA
Connected
Highest Common Denominator Media Group
USA
Easy Like Water
Potomac Media Works
USA
Green China Rising
Lodge 9
USA
Sembene!
Galle Ceddo Projects
USA
Sun Kissed
Sun Kissed Productions, Inc
USA
The Chameleon
The Bear Media
USA
We Own TV
Weowntv
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