Vancouver: Marketing- and networking-minded producers in b.c. are being asked by British Columbia Film to apply to its new Passport to Markets program, which offers financial assistance to expose local filmmakers to the international marketplace.

Under the program, four producers are receiving $750 toward the costs of registration, travel and accommodation to attend the first Toronto Documentary Forum, May 3-4.

There they will observe teams of producers pitching projects to more than 40 international commissioning editors, in addition to participating in pitching workshops and buyer information sessions prior to the forum. Selected participants also receive passes to attend the Hot Docs festival, May 1-7, which is held in conjunction with the forum.

b.c. resident filmmakers with at least one producer credit on a broadcast documentary, and documentary projects in development are eligible for the program.

Deadline for the Toronto event has passed, but calls for applications for travel assistance to other events such as the Banff Television Festival, mipcom, U.K. Drama Immersion and the Amsterdam Forum are scheduled closer to the times of the events.

For information, call (604) 736-7997.