Slaight Foundation Gifts $450K For Canadian Music Docs Fund

By FYI Staff

The Slaight Family Foundation has gifted $450,000 for the creation of a new Hot Docs film development and production fund dedicated to supporting Canadian music reels.

The first of its kind in Canada, the Fund is committed to filmmakers telling engaging, high-quality stories that embrace musical forms and artists and demonstrates Canadian music’s role in the world, organizers say.

The Fund also welcomes international music stories told through the lenses of Canadian filmmakers. Each year, three to five documentary projects, both shorts and features will be green-lighted with amounts ranging from $15,000 to $60,000. Recipients will also receive creative and professional development support. 

“I learned the important role music plays in our lives through my father, Allan Slaight,” Foundation President/CEO Gary Slaight says. Continuing: “It is fitting that our foundation is able to partner with Hot Docs in the creation of this fund that will document our music history across Canada and leave a lasting legacy for future generations to learn from,”.

“Music docs are perhaps the most popular genre with audiences at our cinema and festival. We’re so pleased to join forces with The Slaight Family Foundation to establish this new fund, and to support these visionary filmmakers sharing incredible stories of the musicians and musical styles that have influenced them and touched the world with their artistry,” Chris McDonald, president of Hot Docs announced in a statement. "The Slaight Family Foundation has had a remarkable impact on the healthcare, social services, arts and culture communities in this country, and we are proud to partner with them on this important new initiative."

Feature-length projects are eligible for no-interest development loans of up to $15,000 CAD, and production grants of up to $60,000 CAD.

Short film projects are eligible for production grants of up to $30,000 CAD.

Eligible applicants will be Canadian productions, co-productions or treaty productions making films about Canadian musical artists; Canadian productions, co-productions or treaty productions making films about international musical artists; or international production companies making films about Canadian musical artists.

Applicants must be a corporation unaffiliated with any licensed network or programming undertaking and be the primary rights holder of the project, and must also have previously produced a documentary or fiction film commercially released, or a documentary or fiction film and/or series broadcast on television.

Applications for the Hot Docs-Slaight Family Fund open on June 3 and close on July 29, 2020. To apply, visit https://www.hotdocs.ca/i/hd-slaight-family-fund.

The Hot Docs-Slaight Family Fund joins a multi-million-dollar portfolio of film funds administered by Hot Docs. These funds support Canadian and international documentary projects, including full-length features, shorts and interdisciplinary projects, with much-needed development, production and completion grants and equity investments, as well as providing valuable professional development opportunities for filmmakers.