Hot Docs

Industry Registration FAQ

GENERAL REGISTRATION QUESTIONS

How do I register for Hot Docs 2012?

Online registration for Hot Docs 2012 opens Monday, January 30. To register online please visit our registration page.

Onsite registration will be available at the Registration Desk at the Rogers Industry Centre (93 Charles Street, behind the Isabel Bader Theatre) beginning on Wednesday, April 25, at noon at the Last Minute Price.

How much are passes? What do they entitle me?

There are three different Hot Docs Industry passes available for purchase: Conference Pass, Networking and Market Pass, and Hot Docs Forum Pass. Each has a different price point and is tailored to delegates with different needs.
More information

I have registered but have not received a confirmation email. Should I be concerned?

Registration and payment are NOT automatic. All registration forms received are processed manually on a first-come, first-served basis. You should receive an email within 1-2 weeks of submitting your registration form. If you have registered more than two weeks ago and have not received your confirmation email, please e-mail Kelly Coutts, Delegate Services Manager at kcoutts@hotdocs.ca.

Will I receive a receipt/invoice for my registration fee?

Yes. Delegates will be emailed a receipt of payment with their registration confirmation email and will also receive a hard copy invoice when they pick up their registration package at the Rogers Industry Centre.

If I’ve submitted a film to the 2012 festival, do I still have to pay for my pass?

Applicants will be notified by email in early March 2012 if their work has been selected to screen at the festival. If your film has been selected, both the filmmaker and producer (provided they are not one in the same) will receive a complimentary Networking and Market Pass.

Are there any organizational discounts available for Hot Docs registration?

Members of several organizations, including the Documentary Organization of Canada, the Visual Researchers’ Society of Canada, Women in Film and Television - Toronto or Vancouver, will receive a $50 plus HST discount on their Hot Docs Industry Registration. Please contact the organization with which you are affiliated in order to receive your discount code.

I usually get a press pass - do I still need to register online?

Yes. Visit the Media section of this website. You will not need to fill out an industry registration form, but will need to fill out the Media Accreditation Form once it is available in February 2012.

PASSES AND TICKETS

I have registered for the festival. Where do I pick up my pass?

Hot Docs does NOT mail out any passes or tickets to screenings or industry events. Your delegate package will be ready for pickup at the Rogers Industry Centre (93 Charles Street West, one block south of Bloor, one block east of University) beginning Wednesday, April 25.

The hours of the Rogers Industry Centre are as follows:

Wednesday, April 25: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm Thursday, April 26 to Tuesday, May 1: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm Wednesday, May 2 to Thursday, May 3: 8:00 am – 6:00 pm Friday, May 4 to Saturday, May 5: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Where can I pick up my screening tickets?

Hot Docs Industry Passholders are entitled to one ticket to each screening. Tickets can be redeemed at the theatre’s box office on the day of the performance, beginning one hour before the first screening of the day. For your convenience, a block of tickets are reserved for passholders. Please note that you must show your pass in order to pick up your ticket.

Will I need my delegate badge to get into parties and conference sessions at the Rogers Industry Centre?

Yes. All delegates must bring their badge to all evening social events; without it you may be refused entry. Social events are reserved for registered delegates only.

Two people from my company want to attend. Can I share one Hot Docs Industry Pass with my colleague?

No. Each Delegate Badge will be in the name of the person who purchased it and every person who wishes to attend Hot Docs must have their own badge to gain entry to events, parties and screenings.

Where can I pick up Doc Mogul tickets or the Opening Night Guest Pass that I have ordered?

If you purchased a ticket to the Doc Mogul Luncheon your name has been added to the Guest List. Please check in with your delegate badge at the information desk at the lunch venue on the day of the event. Additional information including details about the luncheon location will be emailed to you closer to the event.

If you purchased an Opening Night Guest Pass, you will be sent an email a week before the event which should be printed and brought to both the screening at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema and the party (location TBA) in order to gain admittance for your guest. Your Industry Badge will allow you admittance.

CANCELLATIONS, REFUNDS AND PASS TRANSFERS

I can no longer attend the festival. Is my pass refundable?

If you have purchased a pass and are no longer able to attend Hot Docs, you may transfer your pass to the name of a colleague at any time. Alternately, a full refund will be available until March 26. If you request a refund between March 27 and April 13, a 50 per cent refund will be granted. Pass transfer and refund requests must be formally submitted in writing before April 13. Refunds will be processed within one month of the close of the Festival.

ACCOMODATION AND USEFUL INFORMATION

I am from out of town. Where can I stay while in Toronto?

The Sutton Place Hotel is our host hotel. All registered Hot Docs delegates that wish to book a room at the Sutton Place Hotel will receive a special guest rate of $196 per night. This special rate includes free Wi-Fi in your guest room (value of $10.00/day) and access to the Private Delegate Lounge. Includes use of lounge and all day coffee and beverage self-service, sponsored by The Sutton Place Hotel.

Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, the Sutton Place Hotel (955 Bay Street) is on transit lines and within walking distance of Hot Docs and Hot Docs Forum venues. Each spacious guest room and suite is decorated with European elegance combined with modern-day technology to keep you up-to-date, such as voice-mail and Wi-Fi service in all areas of the hotel, and special personal amenities like plush bathrobes, Gilchrest & Soames toiletries, iron and ironing board, in-room safe, hairdryer and in-room entertainment. For more information about the hotel and its amenities, please visit www.suttonplace.com.

Once registered your confirmation email will include a discount code.

Please note the booking deadline for our preferred rate is April 12, 2012. Bookings after this date can not be guaranteed at the preferred rate. Space is extremely limited, so please book early.

Will I have access to the internet and email in the Rogers Industry Centre?

Yes. At the Industry Centre we will provide delegates with a number of computer terminals that can be used to check email and browse the internet. We will also have Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi login information will be available at the Registration Desk.

I have a meeting scheduled, but I have never met the person with whom I meeting and don’t know what they look like. How can I find them?

Most delegates have their photo linked to their profile in the Hot Docs Online Community. The community is a good resource to get acquainted with your fellow delegates.

I am interested in meeting Broadcasters, Distributors, Sales Agents, Festival Programmers and Buyers. How can I tell who those people are if I don’t know them?

All Broadcasters, Distributors, Sales Agents, Festival Programmers and Buyers will be distiguished by the fact that the front of their Delegate Badge says Decision Maker.

Where is a good place to take a meeting?

All registered delegates have access to the Delegate Lounge at the Rogers Industry Centre where there will be tables designed for meetings. If you wish to take a meeting off-site, our staff at the Registration Desk will be able to recommend a list of destinations in the surrounding area.

Where is the nearest copy centre?

The Rogers Industry Centre does not have facilities for copying, scanning or photocopying. A few nearby options include: Reflex Copy (1109 Bay Street), Captain Printworks (730 Yonge Street), and 3 Cent Copy Centre (917 Bay Street).

IMPORTANT DATES

When will the full list of events be posted on your website?

The full industry schedule for Hot Docs 2012 will be available in early April.

HOT DOCS ONLINE COMMUNITY

What is the Online Community?

The Hot Docs Online Community is an online space where registered delegates can set up meetings and start networking before the Festival begins. This networking tool is the preferred method of communications during the festival and is used widely to set up meetings and to productively manage festival time.

How do I access the online Community?

Once your Hot Docs industry registration has been processed, you will receive a confirmation email containing your username and password. At that point you can login at www.hotdocsonlinecommunity.ca/.

How long can I access the online community?

Your access to the online community is valid from the time your registration is processed until registration begins for the festival the following year (early January). The earlier you register, the more access you have to this amazing networking tool.

THE DOC SHOP

Does my pass give me access to the Doc Shop at Hot Docs?

The Hot Docs Doc Shop is a fully digital on-site video library (located at the Rogers Industry Centre) offering users on-demand access to 1500+ documentaries at any one of the 40 on-site computer terminals. The Doc Shop is accessible to industry delegates holding a Hot Docs Forum Pass or a Networking and Market Pass, with priority access provided to buyers, commissioning editors, acquisition executives, distributors, sales agents and programmers.

What is the deadline for submitting films to the Doc Shop?

The deadline for submissions to The Doc Shop at Hot Docs is March 19. Films submitted to the Festival, that opt in, will be included in The Doc Shop available on-site during Hot Docs. Films not submitted to the Festival can still be submitted for inclusion in The Doc Shop only.

RENDEZVOUS

How do I go about setting up a Rendezvous meeting?

The Rendezvous service is open to delegates holding a Hot Docs Forum Pass or a Networking and Market Pass with a minimum of one producing or directing credit for a broadcast or theatrically released project. There is no additional fee to participate. Prior to the Festival, participating commissioning editors and buyers will anonymously review project submissions and pre-select those for which they wish to schedule a meeting. Not all applicants are guaranteed a meeting. Submissions open March 20.

THE HOT DOCS FORUM

Does my Conference or Networking and Market pass include accreditation to the Hot Docs Forum?

The Hot Docs Forum is a separately accredited event and access is not provided with a Hot Docs Conference or Networking and Market Pass.

How can I register for a Hot Docs Forum Pass?

Documentary professionals (independent producers, representatives of foundations, public agencies, film institutes, sales agents, distributors) from anywhere in the world can register for Hot Docs Forum accreditation by completing and submitting the Hot Docs Industry Registration Form. Due to high demand, seating may be limited to one participant per production company. The Hot Docs Forum is a limited-seating event requiring advanced accreditation. Passes will remain on sale until all passes have sold out.