The Nonfiction Hotlist curates and champions exceptional nonfiction storytelling, connecting creators with audiences, industry opportunities, and sustainable pathways forward.

Through thoughtful conversation, community building and curiosity we’re discovering  new and unexpected ways to offer support to creators at any stage of their journey, while also joining forces with long-standing industry organizations who seek meaningful change.

about

Hear From Our Storytellers

  • It's been a pleasure to be part of the NFH community this year. The social media presence in particular has been fantastic, and that added visibility has given us many opportunities to push forward conversations with potential funders. Being on the Hotlist also helped to connect us with composer Ari Balouzian, who recommended Max Whipple, who's proven to be an amazing collaborator.

    Florrie Priest, Father Figures

  • Since being featured on the Nonfiction Hotlist, we have been welcomed into an unbelievably warm and hospitable community of like-minded filmmakers and colleagues. The Hot List connected us with our fantastic post sound team, Full English Post, who worked tirelessly under a tight deadline to get the film ready for our world premiere. Time and time again, the selfless team behind NonFiction Hotlist has demonstrated that rising tides lift all ships.

    Dustin Nakao-Haider, Earth to Michael

  • The Nonfiction Hotlist is an incredible community that represents the best of the documentary world – open, collaborative, non-competitive. We'vre met some extraordinary collaborators on the list.

    Daniel Lombroso, Manhood

  • The Hotlist felt less like exposure and more like a shift in gravity. Once it landed, the film began moving faster and in clearer alignment. As the Hotlist gained momentum, it carried the film with it. What followed was not noise, but velocity.

    Gene Gallerano, Thank You For Listening

  • The Hotlist has supported this project in concrete, tangible ways and have been critical in our success. They connected us with legal, music clearance and other professionals when we needed them. And their support was truly invaluable while negotiating a distribution deal with Slate. Hotlist members played a part in generating Slate’s interest in the project in the first place. We call them the best friends we never knew we needed.

    Lynne Gerber, When We All Get To Heaven

  • Being featured on the Nonfiction Hotlist substantially elevated the visibility of Making The Line, resulting in targeted introductions to funders, executive producers, and investors aligned with the film’s cultural mission. The recognition catalyzed meaningful conversations around finishing funds, impact partnerships, and long-term distribution strategy, while reinforcing the project’s credibility and positioning within the nonfiction film community.

    Zilla Barbosa, Director, Making the Line

  • Being part of the Hotlist has been a huge support. It’s helped us connect with some incredible collaborators and fellow filmmakers. Most notably, we were able to bring on an editor to help shape the initial tape—something we wouldn’t have been able to do without the visibility and validation the Hotlist provided.

    Cole Sax, Director, God of Sight

  • The Hotlist exposure in our early development stage of MOVEMENT helped to launch us into meaningful conversations with financiers and potential production partners. Our inclusion on the list highlighted not only the commercial potential of the project but also showcased the storytellers behind the project as artists worthy of support, a huge validation at the beginning of an ambitious project in a challenging doc market.

    Caryn Capotosto, Producer, Movement

  • The Nonfiction Hotlist has been pivotal in helping us raise the profile of our film and expand our network; it has also helped us build our community of support within the documentary film world. These connections are invaluable

    Dempsey Rice, Director & Producer, AMOS

  • Beyond the first time cold outreach from the list, perhaps some of the more direct benefits have been people who we already knew in our networks or community who have interacted with the project over the years and reached back out because they saw DADDY included in the list. This has felt like the most natural and meaningful result!

    Hannah Myers, Director & Jessica Epstein, Producer, DADDY

  • Multiple connections have been made. The overall support and reaction to the sizzle and project have really kept that wind in our sails. Feels good to have the support of a community, and cheer together for all the projects. Some connections continue to move us toward celeb attachment to the documentary.

    Maureen Isern, Director & Producer, Erin’s Law

values

  • We lead with generosity, respect, and thoughtful relationship-building. 

  • We convene rather than gatekeep, creating spaces where storytellers, funders, and audiences engage directly with projects and each other. 

  • We believe collaboration within a community creates alchemy impossible to replicate, and building with a village leads to the best work.

  • Everyone is invited. 

The 2026

Hotlist is

Open!

Submissions are open! 

The 2026 Hotlist is a curated slate of standout nonfiction works in progress, spanning documentary features, shorts, series, podcasts, and reality. 

We connect creators with audiences, industry opportunities, and partners who can move a project forward.

Deadline to Submit September 25th, 2026

Learn More and Submit

2025 nonfiction hotlist

2025 nonfiction hotlist

The 2025 Nonfiction Hotlist is a curation of 23 nonfiction projects. Check out the list.

Read here.

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