Toronto’s Hot Docs film festival has issued an “urgent appeal” for support in the face of a challenging financial picture.

The organization is facing “a significant operational deficit that threatens our long-term sustainability,” according to president Marie Nelson, who shared a message outlining the situation with members of the Hot Docs community on Friday (March 8).

Nelson (pictured), who was appointed as president for the conference and festival last May, said in her message that, while Hot Docs hit a peak attendance of 228,000 for its 2019 edition, the COVID-19 pandemic and the closures that resulted from it “severely disrupted Hot Docs operations, and its impacts are still being felt.”

As with many events and festivals, Hot Docs pivoted to virtual editions in 2020 and 2021, and returned as an in-person event in 2022. The not-for-profit organization also runs a 650-seat theatre in Toronto.

“While we’re already seeing positive signs of recovery as audiences both old and new are returning to the cinema, and while we’ve taken steps to reduce our overhead without impacting our core programming, we are quickly losing runway and urgently need direct support to ensure our future viability,” wrote Nelson.

Nelson added that the organization has opted to take its concerns public (an exclusive interview with Nelson appeared in national newspaper The Globe and Mail on the same day) and is now speaking with “all levels of government, foundations and corporate partners to escalate Hot Docs’ urgent need for support.”

The Hot Docs festival, which begins its 31st edition on April 25, is North America’s largest doc festival and market. Its commissioning forum sees filmmakers pitch projects to doc buyers and decision-makers from around the globe.

Nelson’s letter maintains that this year’s edition is “on track to deliver a dynamic showcase of the world’s finest documentary films.”

This story originally appeared in Realscreen

Photo by Mimi Ho