Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and Astral Media have announced a partnership to create the Astral Media Emerging Documentary Filmmakers Scholarship Programme. Astral has committed to provide $150,000 towards funding the program, which will allow 25 up-and-coming filmmakers from Quebec and British Columbia to participate in an array of professional and creative development opportunities at April's Hot Docs Festival and Conference. "Documentary programming has pride of place on many of our specialty and pay networks and we are pleased to be part of an initiative that will provide Canadian documentarians with unique opportunities to develop, learn and succeed in their chosen genre," said John Riley, president of Astral Media Television Networks. The programme consists of the Doc U Scholarship Programme, the Kickstart Series Bursary Programme and the Toronto Documentary Forum (TDF) Scholarship Programme. The 25 recipients will be selected by a jury organized by Astral and Hot Docs.

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