Screenings, industry conferences and awards have established Hot Docs! on the festival circuit, but as it marks its fifth anniversary, the push is on to develop the international coproduction and financing opportunities at the documentary festival.

‘We are taking a long-term view of what Hot Docs! can do to bring international players together and establish relationships across countries,’ says executive director Debbie Nightingale of the March 18-22 event.

‘Hot Docs! serves as a bridge between North America and Europe. It is a place to foster relationships, look for presale opportunities, meet commissioning editors and producers.’

In this effort, new initiatives include micro-meetings to match commissioning editors with producers with projects suitable for their strands, and ‘Producers Breakfasts,’ bringing together filmmakers and broadcasters in small groups to discuss potential partnerships.

Overseas representatives confirmed as of Feb. 24 include Channel 4’s Alan Haley and Robin Gutch, bbc’s Nick Fraser, Mette Hoffman Meyer of TV 2 Denmark, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Geoffrey Barnes.

A spotlight on Arte is the centerpiece of the industry conference. Arte’s head of documentaries Hans Robert Eisenhauer and commissioning editor Christoph Jorg will discuss programming, the broadcaster’s participation in international coproductions and what it can offer Canadian doc producers.

A pitch session, facilitated by the Banff Television Festival’s Pat Ferns and Films Transit’s Jan Rofekamp, will serve to connect European, u.s. and Canadian commissioning editors and producers.

Who’s talking shop

Nightingale is trying to balance the business side of the festival with creative and content-driven workshops.

Filmmaker discussions will feature Hot Doc! nominees exploring various content issues and the Montreal chapter of the Canadian Independent Film Caucus is programming a ‘Work In Progress’ session where filmmakers will screen rough cuts.

‘Warts & All: The Art of Biographies’ will be moderated by pov editor Barri Cohen and ‘Tracts of a Filmmaker’ will examine documentaries where the director is personally involved in the film. ‘When Does POV Become Exploitation’ will explore moral issues with Chris Triffo (Dad), Nicholas Barker (Unmade Beds) and Cristine Richey (S&M Film).

Hot agenda

This year, Hot Docs! has separated itself from its founding body, the Canadian Independent Film Caucus, and is now a separate non-profit organization, although the cifc has representation on the board.

While attached to the lobbying association, Nightingale says it was often awkward for Hot Docs! to ask the same people for money who they also lobbied. Furthermore, as a separate entity, the festival is now eligible for charitable status.

Increased sponsorship is a sign that the industry is beginning to take more notice of Hot Docs! a&e, the Ontario Film Development Corporation and Rogers have upped their financial participation and cnn and Turner have come on board.

With this support, the awards gala has been moved to the Royal York Hotel where Double Exposure’s Linda Cullen and Bob Robertson will play host.

Entries for the awards competition are up this year to 400 from 320 in 1997, which have been pared down to 61 contenders in 16 categories. (For the full list of ’98 nominees, see p. 47.)

A Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contribution to documentary filmmaking has been added to the award program and Allan King has been named the inaugural recipient.

Opening the festival is the Canadian premiere of Wildman Blues, in which filmmaker Barbara Kipple follows Woody Allen’s jazz band through Europe. A special presentation of Unmade Beds has also been programmed.

A curated showcase of recent documentary cinema from Germany is also lined up. Titled ‘Retrospection Introspection Innovation,’ the films include Thomas Frickel’s Codename: Dennis, Sibylle Tiedemann’s Kinderland-Cinderland, Thomas Hausner’s Made In Germany, Uwe Goob’s Torn Apart, Wilma Kiener and Dieter Matzka’s Three Lives – Friderike, Lotte and Stefan Zweig, Jens Meurer’s Jeckes, Lisa Lewenz’s A Letter With Out Words and Bernd Kaiser and Carola Gotta’s Pork.

Most of the filmmakers will be in attendance and will take part in a panel discussion moderated by Doina Popescu of the Goethe Institute.

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Also in this report:

– A sampling of Canada’s emerging doc directors p. 36

– Opportunities at the NFB doc studio p. 37

– An indie filmmaker chronicles his Seven Days in Cambodia p. 38

– Hot Docs! distrib options p. 39

– Nominees for the fifth annual Hot Docs! awards p. 47