Canada may have suffered the Oscar snub, but one film can claim Canadian birth at least. Waltz with Bashir, nominated for best foreign-language Oscar, was pitched at the Hot Docs Toronto Documentary Forum in 2005.

When the film screened last TIFF, filmmaker Ari Folman thanked Hot Docs, saying, ‘Screening the film here is full circle, because this project was born in Toronto. I brought it to Hot Docs. I only had $80,000, and pitched it. With Hot Docs, you are supposed to declare 40% of your budget – so I did. They knew I didn’t have it, and they really helped me out. I can honestly say that if ARTE hadn’t come on board, during our meeting here in Toronto, I wouldn’t be here today. This film would never have been made.’