With Hot Docs unspooling later this month in Toronto, I want to emphasize it’s now an Academy Award® qualifying festival.

From the media release:

“Hot Docs is thrilled to announced that it has been chosen as an Academy Award® qualifying festival for short documentaries (documentaries no longer than 40 minutes). Recipients of Hot Docs’ Best Short Documentary award will qualify for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the Annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.”

I admit I have a soft spot for Hot Docs. Not only do I love good docs, I’m very happy they’ve taken over the Bloor Cinema; I used to manage the place in the mid-eighties for Tom and Jerry.

My take: Another great reason to support documentary films in Canada.