The $1-million 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.
The Fund provides development grants of $3000 to $10,000 CAD and production grants of $5000 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.
In addition to funding, the Hot Docs-Blue Ice Group Documentary Fund offers valuable resources to support professional development, including attendance at the Hot Docs Festival, Durban International Film Festival and Durban FilmMart. Grantees will have travel, accommodation and accreditation support.
To date, the Hot Docs-Blue Ice Group Documentary Fund has awarded a total of $501,000 to 32 projects.
Applications are open to professional filmmakers who are citizens and residents of continental Africa and are also living and working in the region.