Hot Docs to Spotlight Central and Eastern European, Brazilian Fare

TORONTO, August 3: The Hot
Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, slated for April 20 to 29,
2007, in Toronto, will showcase documentary titles from Central and Eastern
Europe in its National Spotlight program, and features from Brazil in its Made
in… segment.

Films from Bulgaria, the
Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and
Slovakia will be considered for inclusion in the National Spotlight program.
“Clearly the region has never lacked for unique visions and voices in
documentary,” said Sean Farnel, Hot Docs’ director of programming. “And the
more recent emergence of new support systems, festivals and markets seems to
have sparked a fresh wave of non-fiction filmmaking activity in these Central
and Eastern European countries.”

Past Spotlights have showcased
the documentary cinema of countries such as France (2006), Israel (2005), The
Netherlands (2004), the United Kingdom (2003) and Germany (2002).

Brazil has been selected
for the Made in… program, which previously featured Japan (2006), South Africa
(2004) and Taiwan (2003). “The complexities of Brazil’s vibrant culture infuse
its documentary cinema, making it a compelling choice for our first major
program of films from the continent,” said Chris McDonald, Hot Docs’ executive
director. “And the timing is also ideal to cultivate relationships between
documentary professionals in the two countries given the recent efforts by the
NFB and Brazil’s Ministry of Culture to jointly promote development and
production opportunities.”

Submissions for Hot Docs
2007 will be accepted beginning in September 2006, with the early entry
deadline being December 15, 2006, and the late entry deadline being January 15,
2007.