Hot Docs president Chris McDonald and filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril claimed top honours at the DOC Institute’s annual awards ceremony, held Thursday night at Toronto’s Gladstone Hotel.

McDonald (pictured left) and Arnaquq-Baril received the Rogers-DOC Luminary Award and the DOC Vanguard Award, respectively, at the ceremony.

The Luminary award is given to individuals who support the documentary industry in Canada and provide mentorship to younger generations. McDonald has spent more than 15 years with Hot Docs, in the roles of executive director and more recently as president of the organization.

“I am incredibly proud to support filmmakers whose life goal is to tell important stories from all over the world, and am genuinely grateful to organizations like the DOC Institute for championing this art form. I am honoured and extremely touched by this recognition,” McDonald said in a release.

The Vanguard Award, meanwhile, goes to an emerging or mid-level filmmaker who the Institute deems has the potential to lead the next generation of doc-makers. Arnaquq-Baril’s Angry Inuk made its world premiere at Hot Docs 2016, winning both the Canadian Documentary Promotion Award and Vimeo On Demand Audience Award.

“I am astonished to be receiving the DOC Vanguard Award from the DOC Institute, and will do my best to live up to your grand expectations of my career. A heartfelt thank you goes to all my mentors past, present and future. I only hope I can take your generosity and pay it forward someday,” she said.

Last year, Marc Glassman and Chelsea McMullan took home the honourary awards.