The Hot Docs-Blue Ice Group Documentary Fund helps enable more African documentary filmmakers to tell their own stories and contribute to a new generation of the African documentary community. In 2016, the Fund was renewed with an additional $1.25 million CAD, bringing the total investment to $2.35 million.
The Fund provides development grants of up to $10,000 CAD and production grants of up to $40,000 CAD are awarded to approximately four to 10 projects annually.
In addition to financing, the Fund provides a peer-to-peer mentorship program where grantees may team up with international production partners to bring their projects to international markets, festivals, broadcast and online audiences. Additionally, grantees will have travel, accommodation and accreditation support to attend Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and the Hot Docs-Blue Ice Group Filmmakers Lab.
To date, the Hot Docs-Blue Ice Group Documentary Fund has awarded 40 projects from 15 countries.
Applications are open to professional filmmakers who are citizens and residents of continental Africa and are also living and working in the region.
For all application details click HERE
Eligibility
In order for an applicant to be eligible for support, the applicant must:
- Be the primary rights holder of the project
- Be the director or producer attached with the film project
In all cases both the director and producer must:
- Hold citizenship, primary residence and work primarily in Africa. A complete list of funded countries can be found in our FAQ section
- Have at least one previous professional credit to their name
In order for a project to be eligible for support, the project must:
- Be produced and shot in Africa
- Be either a feature or broadcast length documentary (shorts, series and fiction pieces are not eligible)
- Be of high quality and suitable for theatrical release and/or television broadcast to audiences both locally and internationally
- If there is a registered production company associated with the project, that company must be registered in a country off the list of funded countries in our FAQ section
Please note:
- A producer/filmmaker can apply with one project, per fund, per deadline
- If its application is unsuccessful, a project cannot be resubmitted to the same fund at a later deadline unless invited to do so by our selection committee
- A project can be submitted to the Development Fund and, at a later deadline, submitted to the Production Fund, whether or not its Development Fund application was successful
- Applicants who have misrepresented their primary residency on the application and/or in written or verbal correspondence with Hot Docs will not be considered for the grant selection and may have their grants revoked
- The selection committee may invite a particular project to be resubmitted for a later deadline. This decision is made solely by the selection committee. These candidates will be notified directly
Applications open June 2016
