Hot Docs, Al Jazeera team for doc pitch

PRIME TIME: Canadian festival Hot Docs is partnering with Al Jazeera English’s flagship documentary strand Witness to launch a short doc pitch competition.

Elizabeth Radshaw

The inaugural Hot Docs Al Jazeera Short Pitch will take place at the Toronto-based festival this spring, with at least one winning project taking home US$50,000 and a full commission for their doc to appear on the Witness strand across Al Jazeera branded platforms, including TV and online.

The pitch, open to all Canadians, will be held on May 4, at the start of the event’s industry week, with the winner announced during the Hot Docs awards presentation on May 8.

Elizabeth Radshaw, director of industry programmes for Hot Docs, said: “There are so many creative filmmakers who excel at telling compelling stories through short film, and we’re so pleased to be able to reward their remarkable talents and champion their work with this new partnership and prize.”

Fiona Lawson-Baker, executive producer of AJE Witness, added: “We champion the art of observational filmmaking in our Witness short films by placing human experiences at the heart of the story. We can’t wait to connect with Canadian filmmakers, discover new voices and share their stories with our global audiences.”