The Good Pitch Spotlights Human-Rights Docs

TORONTO: Hot Docs’ Toronto Documentary Forum (TDF) has teamed up with the Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation and the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program to present the Good Pitch, which will feature five human-rights-focused documentary film projects.

The projects, selected from 150 submissions, will be pitched to an invited group of organizations, non-governmental organizations, film funds and charities at this year’s TDF, which takes place May 6 and 7. Attending organizations include ABA Center for Human Rights, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Canadian Friends of Burma, Educational Foundation of America, Human Rights Watch’s Women’s Rights Division and World Organization for Human Rights USA. The five selected projects are Burma Soldier, Our School, Resilient, The Promise of Freedom and Untitled Immigration Project. 

Meanwhile, Hot Docs has selected the 25 international projects that will be presented during the TDF. Selected from 160 submissions, the works represent 13 different countries: Armenia, Canada, France, China, the U.K., Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S. New this year, the Canwest-Hot Docs Funds TDF Pitch Prize will be awarded to the best Canadian pitch at the 2009 TDF. The winner will receive a $40,000 cash prize to go towards the production and completion of their project.

"The TDF is thrilled to present this 10th annual forum of dynamic documentary and factual content which will appeal to the international broadcasting community and most importantly, audiences around the globe," said Elizabeth Radshaw, the director of the TDF.