Hot Docs is not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing and celebrating the art of documentary and creating production opportunities for documentary filmmakers. It was founded in 1993 by the Documentary Organization of Canada (formerly the Canadian Independent Film Caucus), a national association of independent documentary filmmakers. In 1996, it became a separately incorporated organization with a mandate to showcase and support the work of Canadian and international documentary filmmakers and to promote excellence in documentary production.
Each year, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival — North America's largest doc festival, conference and market — presents over 200 cutting edge films from around the world. Year round, it supports the Canadian and international industry with professional development programs and a multi-million-dollar production fund portfolio, and fosters education through documentaries with its popular free program Docs For Schools.
Hot Docs owns and programs the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, a century-old landmark located in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood and the world’s first and largest documentary cinema. During the pandemic, Hot Docs launched the Hot Docs at Home streaming platform to provide audiences across Canada access to first-run documentaries and curated programming and events.
Our mission is to celebrate and advance the art of documentary by bringing outstanding films to our audiences and providing essential programs and opportunities for filmmakers.
Opening Submission Date
TBA
Notification
Applicants will be notified of programming decisions via email by mid-March.
Event Date
April 23 - May 3, 2026
Early |
Regular |
Final |
|
---|---|---|---|
Mid-Length - Feature & Episodic |
Oct 23, 2025: $70 |
Dec 4, 2025: $120 |
Jan 8, 2026: $165 |
Short (1-40 min) |
Oct 23, 2025: $35 |
Dec 4, 2025: $50 |
Jan 8, 2026: $70 |
Visit the Hot Docs website for more information.
WELCOME TO MPM!
We’ve been so busy creating something special, that we forgot about one small thing… money! MOTIONPICTUREMAKER.COM is entirely self-funded, but work in the Industry has become sparse since the strikes, so we’re hoping for a little support. As MPM grows it will become a single point of information for anyone interested in motion pictures. We’ve already begun listing major festivals throughout the world, and news, reviews and tutorials about the latest technologies, but we plan to do so much more! With your help, we can bring back, and expand, our tax credits and incentives breakdown for each state, province and country, build asset libraries for content creators, and offer Industry workshops. We’d also like to expand our limited bookstore, to offer tools of the trade, with member discounts.
Please consider buying a yearly membership for just $25 USD. In return, we’ll continue to build this tremendous resource, and offer our members more discounts with our partners.
Please visit our membership page to buy a membership, or email us at admin@motionpicturemaker.com for more information.